Possible turning point for cyclocross with a view to the 2030 Winter Olympics? The decision on the possible entry of this sport into the Five Circles program has been postponed, but the game remains very open. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) indeed it has postponed to June the formal evaluation of the disciplines and possible additions for i 2030 Games in the French Alpsthus postponing a verdict that was initially expected in February, during the plenary session scheduled to coincide with Milano Cortina 2026.
A postponement which, according to various sources, is interpreted as an encouraging sign. In recent months, in fact, the talks between the CIO and International Cycling Union (UCI) they would have been defined as “constructive and positive”, confirming a concrete interest in a discipline that has been discussed for years from an Olympic perspective. This is what is reported by the Belgian newspaper, The Latest News.
The UCI is reportedly pushing for the inclusion of cyclocrossconvinced that entry into the Olympic schedule can give new impetus to the specialty, broadening its global visibility and attracting new practitioners. In support of the candidacy, the international federation has involved some of the most iconic figures in world cycling, such as Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar and the champion Puck Pieterseasking them to create a promotional video to be submitted to the IOC and the organizers of the 2030 Games. In case of the green light, one of the hypotheses for the venue of the competitions was The Board of Beautiful Girlsa symbolic location of Tour de France and the scene of Pogačar’s first Yellow Jersey triumph in 2020.
However, there is no shortage of resistance. The traditional winter sports federations, united in the Winter Olympic Federations group, remain against the inclusion of disciplines that do not take place on snow or ice, such as cyclocross or cross-country running. To find out the Olympic future of the specialty, we will therefore have to wait a few more months, when in June the International Olympic Committee will be called upon to make a decision that could mark a historic turning point for cycling and winter sports.
