New UCI President Brian Cookson is raring to go. He has proven this several times in the past few weeks. As a result of the Cyclocross World Championships in Hoogerheide last weekend, he reaffirmed his will to help the discipline to be included in the ranks of Olympic winter sports.
“The new IOC President, Thomas Bach, wants to modernize the Olympic Games program, and we at the UCI are happy to help drive this modernization forward,” Cookson said on the world cycling federation’s website. “ I think that cyclocross as a winter discipline would be a great addition to the Winter Games. Cyclocross requires endurance, explosiveness, and very good riding technique.”
“Athletes from 23 nations and five continents participated in this season’s World Championships. […] There was a particularly strong increase in the women’s and junior categories. This demonstrates how rapidly cyclocross is growing ,” the Briton continued. “ [The discipline] also offers medal opportunities for both men and women, while the costs of building a course are relatively low. And the principle is simple: the first one to cross the finish line wins.”
Regarding the controversial sixth rule of the IOC statutes, according to which only sports that take place on ice or snow may be included in the Winter Olympics, Cookson commented: "That is the current situation, but President Bach has already indicated that he wants to change the rules."
In Hoogerheide, more than 40.000 spectators watched the events live. This number is already Olympic . Let's hope that cyclocross will follow suit in the near future.