The debate over cyclocross in the Olympics seems to pop up every few months, and now, Mathieu van der Poel has added his voice to the discussion. Following the snow-covered Zilvermeercross in Mol, the Dutch star suggested that conditions like those seen on Friday only strengthen the case for ‘cross as an Olympic sport.
The race in Mol was pretty wild, with slippery and cold conditions creating some great racing. Well, that is until Wout van Aert crashed out, fracturing his ankle and ending his ‘cross season.
Other races in the past, like the snowy Val di Sole race, were meant to show that racing in the snow was doable for ‘cross. (Although not everyone loved it, including van der Poel himself, back in 2021.)
Snow and ‘cross
His father, Adrie said that he thought his son was a little scared. He told Het Nieuwsblad that his son never looked very comfortable during the race.
“It was simple, he didn’t have the confidence on the snow and ice. It showed at the start and during the race. Michael Vanthourenhout rode with confidence, Mathieu didn’t,” he said. “You saw that at every corner.”
In fact, van der Poel did wipe out–a rarity for the ace, in Mol. Thankfully it wasn’t as severe as van Aert’s crash.
The never ending debate about what makes an Olympic sport
The question of whether cyclocross could be added to the Winter Olympics — potentially as early as 2030 — has been circulating for years. The UCI, has been actively campaigning alongside World Athletics to introduce both cyclocross and cross-country running to the Winter Games calendar, arguing that the sports naturally belong in the colder months.
Lo que la nieve te da, la nieve te lo quita. 😫💥
Caída de Van Aert que le descuelga definitivamente de Van der Poel, cuando soñaba con una victoria en el #Zilvermeercross. #ciclocross | #ExactCross pic.twitter.com/on3bYbnMVm
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) January 2, 2026
The UCI pitched the concept to the International Olympic Committee in 2014, but it didn’t exactly go so well.
Making it an Olympic sport would bolster the discipline
Former ‘cross star Sven Nys (and father of current one, Thibau) has been very vocal about the prospect of ‘cross making its debut in the Winter Olympics. “If our sport becomes an Olympic sport, the sky’s the limit,” he said. “Then all the federations will wake up and put money into cyclocross again. Now that’s only in Belgium and the Netherlands.”
Lately though, the…
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