If suspense has been guaranteed since the start of the cyclo-cross season with many different winners, the presence of a Wout van Aert or a Mathieu van der Poel remains important on the marketing level for the discipline. But the UCI cannot force riders to line up in the plowed areas.
A new multidisciplinary points system
This is why the International Cyclist Union is considering a solution so that the big names are more often present in the disciplines they love: this applies to Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel in cyclo-cross but also to the Dutchman as well as double Olympic champion Tom Pidcock on mountain bike or Filippo Ganna or Jonathan Milan on the track, for example.
One of the avenues for reflection to create more multidisciplinary cycling could lead to the famous UCI points. These are earned by riders based on their results in the different road races on the calendar depending on their importance. These UCI points have become essential in obtaining WorldTour licenses and the establishment of an up and down system.
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If this points system is only put in place for road cycling, the UCI is considering extending it to other disciplines (cyclo-cross, gravel, mountain biking, track or even BMX). Events in other disciplines could therefore earn teams points towards obtaining WorldTour licenses.
“What we want is for the points collected in the other disciplines to also be taken into account in the team ranking which determines the WorldTour licenses.”explained the UCI sports director, Peter Van den Abeele to Sporza. “A team like Ineos has one of the best track runners in Filippo Ganna and he participates in many events. It’s nice, but in exchange, Ineos doesn’t receive any UCI points. We want to discuss and change that.”,
The goal is therefore to reward “multidisciplinary” teams. This could also encourage other teams to let their riders participate more in races in other disciplines to gain valuable points. In full reflection, the UCI could introduce this new system from 2026 and kill two birds with one stone with the reform of the calendar.
