Cyclo-cross is closer than ever to achieving one of its greatest dreams: becoming an Olympic discipline. The French department of Haute-Saône has submitted a solid bid to host a potential cyclo-cross event at the 2030 Winter Olympics, to be held in the French Alps.
The proposal is based on an iconic cycling venue, La Planche des Belles Filles, made famous by the Tour de France, and has key institutional and sporting support.
This move comes at a crucial time for the discipline, which has struggled for years to make its way onto the Olympic calendar. Unlike MTB and BMX, which did make it onto the summer schedule, cyclo-cross has remained on the sidelines despite taking place mostly in winter and enjoying a solid base of amateur and professional competitions, especially in Western Europe.
The difficulty of fitting it into the Summer Games and its seasonal nature have been two of the main obstacles. But the 2030 winter edition could mark a turning point.
The project has the explicit support of UCI President David Lappartient and Michel Barnier, a key figure in the 2030 Alpine Games organizing committee.
Furthermore, Sports Minister Marie Barsacq has acknowledged that the selection process for the four additional sports will be based on proposals that will arrive by the end of 2025, with a final decision by the IOC scheduled for the session prior to the Milan-Cortina Games in February 2026.
Among the arguments in the Haute-Saône dossier are “the opportunity to offer a popular image of the Games,” as well as a “change in culture” that positions cyclocross as a true winter sport, increasingly present in resorts located above 1,000 meters.
To design the course, they enlisted the experience of Lucie Lefèvre, two-time French champion and 2011 world runner-up, who lives in the area and knows the terrain perfectly.
The bid has also secured a prestigious ambassador: Thibaut Pinot, the now-retired local idol of professional cycling, has promised to come out of retirement to compete if the event is held in 2030. “One day in February 2030, I will finally achieve my victory at La Planche,” he declares ambitiously in the dossier.
Despite the enthusiasm, the project is not without obstacles. The main ones are geographical and political. Edgar Grospiron, president of the organizing committee (COJOP), has made it clear that the additional disciplines must be held in the South of the country, as stipulated in the agreement between the regions involved in the Olympic bid.
A demand that casts doubt on the viability of organizing cyclo-cross in the Haute-Saône region, located much further north and with a strong tradition in this discipline. Lefèvre sums it up bluntly: “It makes no sense to organize cyclo-cross in a region with no culture for it. Here we know how to host events with 20,000 or 30,000 people; it will be a great celebration.”
Other towns, such as Besançon, which has already hosted rounds of the Cyclo-cross World Cup, have also shown interest in participating in the Games. Meanwhile, the lobbying process has barely begun. Cyclo-cross’s inclusion in the Olympic Games remains a long-distance race, but now more than ever, the goal seems within reach.
In recent years, cyclo-cross has intensified its process of internationalization and adaptation to gain visibility outside its traditional European strongholds. Competitions in countries such as the United States, Japan, and the Czech Republic have expanded its global reach, while events such as the Val di Sole World Cup, held on compacted snow in the middle of winter, have served as an ideal showcase for demonstrating that cyclocross can function perfectly as a Winter Olympic discipline.
This evolution in the calendar and race conditions has been key to strengthening its bid for future inclusion in the Olympic program.
Source: www.marca.com