How to watch Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert in Cyclocross action

Belgian Wout van Aert competes in the men's elite race during the UCI World Cup cyclocross competition, in Maasmechelen on January 25, 2025.

(Image credit: LUC CLAESSEN/Belga/AFP via Getty Images)

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As soon as Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert announced their much anticipated winter cycle cross schedules avid fans checked them for match ups and this year there will be five races where they will face each other.

Read on and we'll show you how to watch Cyclocross live streams from anywhere with a VPN, and potentially for free.

Van der Poel x Van Aert, Cyclocross 2025 - 2026 live streams: TV schedule, Dates

Cyclocross 2025 - 2026 live streams take place right through the winter months from September to February.
► Start time: Start times for the men's races are typically 14.00pm (GMT)
• FREE STREAM — Sporza and RTBF in Belgium. UCI YouTube
• U.S. — FloBikes
• U.K. — Discovery+
• Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN risk-free

The big Cyclocross races are split across four televised series, the UCI World Cup, the Superprestige, the Exact Cross and the X²O Badkamers Trofee and there are races week in week out between September and February.

There are many stars of Cyclocross but there are two names that sit above all others, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. Both multiple world champions and both absolute box office every time they line up.

This year we are going to be treated to five battles between these two living legends of the sport, between December 20th and January 4th. Although both riders are now arguably more famous for plying their trade on the road it’s cross where they made their mark first.

Van der Poel has planned the longest campaign totalling 13 races and culminating with the World Championships in February which he is aiming to win for a record breaking 8th time. By comparison Van Aert has just 8 races in his schedule but it is the five where both riders meet that will get the most attention.

See the bottom of the page for each individual rider's schedule but here are the key dates where the two will meet, starting with Round Five of the UCI World Cup from the city of Antwerp on December 20th.

Read on to see full details of how to watch Cyclocross live streams online, from anywhere.

Mathieu van der Poel vs Wout Van Aert Rounds

December 20 | UCI World Cup - Antwerp, Belgium
December 22 | X²O Badkamers Trofee – Hofstade, Belgium
December 29 | X²O Badkamers Trofee - Loenhout, Belgium
January 2 | Exact Cross - Mol, Belgium
January 4 | UCI World Cup - Zonhoven, Belgium

Free Cyclocross 2025 - 2026 live streams

The good news for Cyclocross fans is that you can catch Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert in Cyclocross for FREE in some parts of the world.

The UCI broadcasts free streams of the World Cup series on its own UCI YouTube channel. It is geo-restricted though, and only available in countries where a TV deal hasn't been struck with an external broadcaster.

Geo-restrictions vary by event, but fans in the UK and Ireland are blocked because Discovery+ show all rounds. The feed is, however, sometimes freely available in the US, Canada, and Australia.

In Belgium all the races from all the series are shown by the free-to-air public broadcasters – VRT / Sporza in the north and RTBF in the south.

In the Netherlands public broadcaster NOS often has free live streams on its platform, NPO Start.

Outside any of these countries? Don't worry — you can unlock your stream via NordVPN instead. We'll show you how to do that below.

2025 - 2026 Cyclocross live streams around the world

It's only natural that you might want to watch a Cyclocross live stream from your home country this winter, but what if you're not there when the races are on?

Look no further than a VPN, or virtual private network. A VPN makes it look as if you're surfing the web from your home country, rather than the one you're in. That means you can access the streaming services you already pay for, from anywhere on Earth. Or anywhere that has an internet connection, at least.

They're totally legal, inexpensive and easy to use. We've tested lots of the best VPN services and our favourite right now is NordVPN. It's fast, works on loads of devices and even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favourite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view a Belgian service, you'd select 'Belgium' from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Sporza or another streaming service and watch the action.

How to watch Cyclocross 2025-2026 live streams in the U.S.

The best place to catch the Cyclocross in the US is FloBikes However, its schedule does not cover the entirety of each race series, and is prone to changes, so it's worth keeping an eye on what they have coming up. A subscription to FloBikes will set you back $149.99 for the year or $29.99 on a monthly basis.

You can catch the action from the World Cup races on the UCI YouTube for free on the live stream which is not always geo-restricted in the US.

And if you're currently out of the U.S. but still want to watch the races, then don't forget to explore NordVPN set out above.

How to watch Cyclocross 2025-2026 live streams in the U.K.

British flag — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

The place to catch the 2025-2026 Cyclocross action in the U.K. is TNT Sports which has the rights to all the action from all the major series.

To access TNT Sports, you'll either need to add it to your TV package, or you can take out a standalone subscription via Discovery+ which will set you back £30.99 per month, though BT Broadband customers can get a discounted rate.

If you're currently traveling overseas, don't worry, as you can use NordVPN to watch your usual service from abroad.

How to watch Cyclocross 2025 - 2026 live streams in Canada

Canada flag — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Cycling fans in Canada can watch Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert in Cyclocross on FloBikes which will be carrying the same coverage of all the major series they offer in the US and sometimes more.

A FloBikes subscription will set you back CAN$203.88 for the year or CAN$39.99 on a monthly basis.

Some UCI World Cup events will also be aired in Canada for free on the UCI Youtube page.

Not at home right now? Use NordVPN or another VPN service to trick your device into thinking you're still in Canada.

How to watch Cyclocross 2025 - 2026 live streams in Australia

Australian flag — (Image credit: Future)

In Australia you can watch the UCI Cyclocross world Cup on the UCI YouTube channel for FREE as no Australian broadcasters have the rights. Unfortunately you will be unable to watch the races from the other race series.

Outside Oz? Use NordVPN to unlock geoblocking while you are out of Australia.

Van der Poel and Van Aert 2025- 2026 race schedules

Click to see the full schedule for each rider ▼

Mathieu van der Poel's schedule

Wout Van Aert's schedule

Disclaimer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

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Simon Warren has been obsessed with cycling since the summer of 1989 after watching Greg Lemond battle Laurent Fignon in the Tour de France. Although not having what it took to beat the best, he found his forte was racing up hills and so began his fascination with steep roads. This resulted in his 2010’s best-selling 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, followed to date by 14 more guides to vertical pain. Covering the British Isles, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain he has been riding and racing up hills and mountains for over 30 years now. He hosts talks, guides rides, has written columns for magazines and in 2020 released his first book of cycling routes, RIDE BRITAIN. Simon splits his time between working as a graphic designer and running his 100 Climbs brand and lives in Sheffield on the edge of the Peak District with his wife and two children.