{"id":53861,"title":"Guide: What's the cyclocross Kerstperiode?","description":"What is the cyclocross Kerstperiode?\nWe delve a bit deeper into this important period of the Belgian professional cyclocross season to find out what it is, when it occurs and why it matters so much. How much does Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert get paid to start a cyclocross race?","content":"

Published in<\/strong>: CYCLOCROSS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>

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As we get closer to the end of December, you'll hear cyclocross commentators refer to the Kerstperiode, but what is the cyclocross Kerstperiode?<\/p>

We delve into this important period of the Belgian professional cyclocross season to find out what it is and when it occurs. We discover why it matters so much, and when you can see Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel in cyclocross action.<\/p>

\"ImageStars such as Wout van Aert come out to play during the Kerstperiode<\/em><\/p>

What does Kerstperiode mean?<\/h3>

Kerst in Dutch, the language spoken in the cyclocross heartland of Flanders, means Christmas, and periode just means period. It's quite simple, Kerstperiode means Christmas period.<\/p>

It's not an expression that's unique to cyclocross, but for fans of Flemish-style racing, it has a special, dare I say, almost religious resonance.<\/p>

When is the Kerstperiode?<\/h2>

There's no official start to the Kerstperiode. Most cyclocross fans accept that it begins at the start of the almost continuous series of televised Belgian cyclocross races over the Christmas holidays.<\/p>

For the 2025-26 cyclocross season, that means from Saturday, 20 December, with the World Cup Antwerpen through to Sunday, 4 January, when it concludes with the World Cup Zonhoven. It\u2019s a hugely packed period with twelve days of racing compacted into just sixteen days. The calendar looks like this:<\/p>