The 2026 UCI Cyclocross World Cup stops in Benidorm, Spain on Sunday, racing through Parque de Foietes and Parque de El Moralet. The course is a mix of urban parkland with fast open sections, wooded technical trails, short climbs and man‑made obstacles including a sand section and an uphill finish area added for this year’s course.
Although he’s listed on the startlist, it’s not 100 per cent that world champ Mathieu van der Poel is racing. He is in Spain–and has been doing some killer training rides with former pros. So that’s a TBD.
In the elite men’s race, Thibau Nys, Michael Vanthourenhout, Joris Nieuwenhuis, and Felipe Orts among others expected at this World Cup round. Two Canadians will be there: Cameron Jette and Cody Scott. In the under-23 event, Rhett Bates will be there. There are also junior men’s and women’s races but the Canadian contingent (which has been doing great) will skip the Spanish round.
On the women’s side, competitors include Lucinda Brand, Ceylin Del Carmen Alvarado, Inge van der Heijden, Aniek van Alphen, and Zoe Bäckstedt. Puck Pieterse is not racing unfortunately due to a crash at the Dutch nationals. Canadians racing include Sidney McGill and Nico Knoll.
You can catch all the action on Flobikes.com. Afterwards, check back here on Canadian Cycling Magazine for a full report and analysis. It’s only a few weeks before the worlds in Hulst, The Netherlands. And sure, van der Poel is going to try and break the all-time record–but several Canadians have shots at having a very special day.
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