Benidorm will bid to host the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in 2031

Benidorm will bid to host the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in 2031.
The decision will be announced in September during the International Cycling Union's general assembly.

The city will once again host a World Cup race on January 18th, in which Thibau Nys has already confirmed his participation, and Mathieu Van der Poel is provisionally confirmed.

Benidorm will bid to host the 2031 UCI Cyclocross World Championships after submitting its candidacy to the International Cycling Union. This was announced this morning during the presentation of the World Cup race at El Torrejó building. The race will be held in the city on January 18th for the fourth consecutive year in El Moralet and Foietes Park. This sporting event has become the biggest cyclocross celebration in Spain.

The UCI Cyclocross World Championships are the premier event in the sport on the international calendar and are usually held between the end of January and the beginning of February, after the UCI Cyclocross World Cup has concluded. They serve as the culmination of the season, and the last time Spain hosted this event was 35 years ago in the town of Getxo, in 1990.

The mayor, Toni Pérez, said that Benidorm's bid represents "a new challenge." "Things that work should be nurtured. That's why we will push hard to secure the World Championships, a top-level event," he stated. Pérez recalled that the city already hosted the Road World Championships in 1992, which was "a celebration of cycling."

Luis Cervera, Director General of Sports for the Valencian Government, indicated that Benidorm "meets all the standards" and opined that world cycling "would greatly benefit from an event like this in this city." Pascual Momparler, director of the World Cup event in Benidorm, also stated that "we will work very hard to make it a reality." The UCI will announce the venue for the World Championships next September during its general assembly.

Quique Gutiérrez, vice president of the Spanish Cycling Federation, has also commented on the bid, expressing his strong conviction that "we're going to achieve it" and demonstrating that "cyclocross isn't just for Northern Europe." In his opinion, hosting the World Championships "would mean a great deal to our country."

It's worth remembering that, should the bid be successful, it wouldn't be the first time Benidorm has hosted a World Cycling Championship. As mentioned, in 1992, it hosted a historic Road World Championship, where Italian Gianni Bugno won the rainbow jersey in the men's professional race, while the United States team triumphed in the women's team time trial.

Regarding the World Cup race on January 18th, Momparler has indicated that the course will feature some new elements. The most notable feature will be the finish line, which will be “a 100-meter-long, six-meter-wide sand track located on Avenida 9 d’Octubre, uphill and therefore more challenging, as requested by the cyclists.” The organisers' expectations are similar to last year, and they anticipate reaching 16,000 attendees.

The mayor described the event's impact on the city as “enormous,” thanked “everyone who made it possible,” and emphasised that “the season continues to show strong figures with occupancy rates exceeding 80% in January.” He added, “We have many ingredients to further solidify Benidorm's position as a unique tourist destination.”

Luis Cervera, for his part, highlighted “the significant scale this race has achieved in such a short history, with a tremendous international impact” that placed Benidorm, for a few days, “at the world epicentre of cycling.” Cervera also advocated for "continuing to improve and consolidate the event."

Each year, this cycling event draws around 16,000 spectators to El Moralet and Foietes parks, attracting a huge influx of customers to the hotels and restaurants of Benidorm and the surrounding area. In terms of competition, its record is as brief as it is illustrious, with victories by Mathieu Van der Poel (2023), Wout van Aert (2024), and Thibau Nys (2025) in the Elite Men's category, and three wins by the dominant Fem van Empel in the Women's.

So far, the winner of the last edition, Thibau Nys, and the current European champion, Toon Aerts, have confirmed their participation in the Elite Men's category. The current holder of the rainbow jersey, Mathieu Van der Poel, one of the biggest stars in world cycling, has also included the event in his provisional schedule.