After a nine-year run of UCI Cyclocross World Cup rounds in the United States, the news came crashing down on Friday that the 2024-2025 calendar would forego any travel outside Europe.
A revised 12-race schedule did not include a stop in the rural countryside of Waterloo, Wisconsin, and elite riders have responded with mixed emotions, including that it could be seen as "a step back in the progression of our sport".
However, it does not in any way mean cyclocross is gone from the North American landscape, as the plans for UCI registered races and a US national series supported by local organisers are still in the works. Plans are in the works to refashion the Trek CX Cup this fall, a highly popular national event known for large plastic, painted cows scattered across Trek's corporate backyard that reverberates with all-day ringing of cowbells on race weekend.
"Yes, it's unfortunate there are no U.S. rounds on this year's World Cup calendar. We are proud of the impact World Cup Waterloo had on US cyclocross since 2017 and are hopeful a World Cup race will return to the U.S. in the future," Trek Bicycle's Haley Ludwick, campaigns and public relations manager, told Cyclingnews.
"However, even without inclusion in the World Cup series, Trek CX Cup lives on! Trek is hosting The Battle among the Cattle, the best 'cross race in the US this fall and it will be on the UCI calendar."
Cyclocross racing exploded in a big way in Wisconsin in the 2013-2014 season when Trek brought a weekend of UCI races for elite riders to their local event. Two years later, the World Cup landed in the US with Cross Vegas in Nevada, and that year there were just seven international events. Iowa joined the early-season lineup for two US stops the next year and in 2017-2018 Waterloo tagged on with Iowa for a US doubleheader in the now-global series.
While the 2020-2021 season was hindered by the coronavirus global pandemic, with no racing in the US and six European races cancelled as well, the height of the World Cup in the US came in 2021-2022 with three races - Waterloo, Fayetteville (Arkansas) and Iowa City, all in one week in early October. The series itself had 15 total events. Last year only Waterloo remained in the US on a calendar of 14 races.
“It’s definitely a bummer to not have a World Cup in North America, or anywhere outside Europe this year. It feels a little bit like a step back in the progression of our sport,” Canadian Maghalie Rochette, who was the top North American in the women’s World Cup Waterloo last year, fourth place, told Cyclingnews.
“But at the same time, we can’t blame race organizers. Putting on a World Cup race costs a lot of money, it is a big commitment. If they can’t cover their fees with fans and amateur racers, then, it means our sports is sadly not in the best place right now.”
After dominating last year’s USCX cyclocross series for elite women by sweeping all eight races, Rochette travelled to Europe to compete in eight World Cup events for her buildup to the World Championships, where she finished 10th. USA’s Curtis White won the men’s elite USCX title for a second-consecutive year and had a reduced three-race programme prior to Worlds. He echoed the sentiment from Rochette about the demise of a World Cup race in the US.
“On the one hand, we are back to where we were 10 years ago with the ‘World Cup’ being around a handful of Euro countries. On the other, there is now no excuse to not promote our national scene and national series, the USCX,” White told Cyclingnews about the importance of the domestic cyclocross series “There are no conflicts, and athletes can focus 100% on USCX, good prize money, then shift focus to World Cup later in the season.”
The USCX is expected to return for a fourth season this fall, which last year hosted eight races across four weekends and paid a $15,000 prize purse, split evenly between elite men and women. USA Cycling said it hopes to announce the US calendar for this season, including USCX, at the end of May.
Two-time US national champion and three-time Pan-American champion Eric Brunner told Cyclingnews that while it was a “big disappointment” not to have World Cup racing on home turf this next season, he was glad Trek Cup would remain with UCI points on offer. However, he was concerned about the growth of the sport for up-and-coming riders.
“I think the main people affected are the young North American riders who would like to get a World Cup experience but may be in school or not able to afford so much travel,” he said.
“The more geographically compact World Cup makes logistics easier if you are racing the whole series, but there are so few riders actually doing that. The mountain bike World Cup schedule is very well thought out and I would like to see ‘cross follow that model of 6-8 rounds with mostly back-to-back weekends that are close to one another. I think that would see participation increase and give more respect and prestige to the World Cup.
“I think naturally the World Cup will change and evolve to include different races and I hope that we will see a home World Cup (or multiple) again soon.”
The UCI made some sweeping changes to cyclocross rules this past winter, taking effect March 1, 2024, which tackled some issues with World Cup races and athlete participation. Many riders and team leaders had complained about the hectic cyclocross calendar, with 14 or 15 World Cup events across Europe and North America in the past three seasons, rather than eight or nine events from the pre-COVID years. Plus, there were other series on the international calendar - Superprestige, X2O Trofee and Exact Cross series - adding to travel expenses and a lack of rest periods.
Rochette noted that changes are expected and it was not an end to the glory days of US cyclocross, but could provide opportunities at the grassroots level.
“But trends in cycling are a constant ebb and flow. We can be happy about the USCX series that we have because this allows us pros to have a series, but even most importantly, it allows amateurs to stay in touch with the sport, and it allows kids to have grassroots races and discover the sport of cyclocross. That’s the most important thing to develop the sport. So as long as we have the local races, the local clubs, the domestic races and series, there is hope that cyclocross in North America will one day come back to its best days!”
