The UCI Cyclocross World Cup – Benidorm Costa Blanca is ready to go!
With just 48 hours to go, the Momparler Cycling team has already finished setting up the circuit on which the third edition of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup – Benidorm Costa Blanca will be held on Sunday, January 19th.
An arduous task that, as explained by the technical director of the event, Miguel Ángel Ortega, began last September with pre-production tasks and intensified at the beginning of December with the start of the on-the-ground work.
Ortega explains that, for the 2025 edition, the route of the southernmost race in cyclocross’ most important tournament, will “enter towards the highest part of the El Moralet park in order to give ‘depth’ to the circuit and offer cyclists a place to push themselves a little more”.
“This means that the circuit will gain 300 metres in length compared to last year. The Foietes park section will be identical than in 2024 because it was very popular with fans as it allows them to see the cyclists several times, coming from the right and from the left”.
In short, the architect of the route concludes, “the great charm of this circuit is having two very different areas. First, an urban one in the Foietes park and then, another completely forested one in El Moralet… being at all times just a few hundred meters away from the beaches of the Costa Blanca”.
'Fiesta’ for everyone
The UCI Cyclocross World Cup – Benidorm Costa Blanca, to be held on Sunday and including Junior, Under-23 and Elite races, will be just the grand finale of a weekend that, as in the two previous editions, will kick off on Saturday with the BenidormCX, a race day that allows cyclists from all the youth and Master categories to compete on the very same circuit as their idols.
With almost half a thousand cyclists registered in the different categories (from cycling schools to Master 60), the event organizer, Pascual Momparler, celebrates its success and believes that “the BenidormCX allows us to take care of all the cycling lovers. It is an important event because it is another way of involving the people who are pushing to make cyclocross bigger and more popular throughout Spain every weekend. If it is already comforting to see happy faces on Sunday, when they are watching the best cyclists in the world ride around the race circuit, imagine our satisfaction on Saturday when they receive the opportunity to do the same in the BenidormCX!”.
In addition to that, to make the weekend a complete ‘fiesta’, this year the organisation has implemented important new features in the entertainment side with a ‘tardeo’ (a Spanish word used for friends and family reunions to eat, have a drink and enjoy each other during the afternoon) on Saturday, when the Fan Zone will open when the official training session take place, with its food and drink bars, and a Red Bull DJ will liven up the enjoyment of the fans. On Sunday there will also be music from 12:00 in the four Fan Zones along the circuit.
Last tickets for sale
Once again, more than 15.000 people are expected to attend the venue build for the occasion in the El Moralet and Foietes parks. While access to BenidormCX is free and open to the public, ticket sales for the UCI Cyclocross World Cup – Benidorm Costa Blanca are experiencing a significant boost in these final hours, so a ‘sold out’ is not ruled out.
Therefore, fans are advised not to wait until the very last minute and purchase their tickets online before the virtual ticket office closes on Saturday at 11AM. For those who, despite everything, wish to leave it for Sunday, tickets can be purchased at the ticket office at the entrance to the venue.
That massive flow of fans has turned BenidormCX and the UCI Cyclocross World Cup – Benidorm Costa Blanca into one of the most important events, not only for the local sport calendar, but also for the tourism industry, in Benidorm, undoubtedly, the great tourist capital of the Mediterranean.
Free-to-air television
For those who cannot make it to the circuit, as in previous years, they will be able to enjoy the races through the live and free-to-air broadcast, for the Spanish territory, of Radio Televisión Española (RTVE), which will broadcast the Elite women's race (13:40 hours) and the Elite men's race (15:10 hours) live through its thematic channel Teledeporte. The competition can also be followed in Spain through Eurosport.
Outside Spain, the race can be watched in Belgium (Telenet Play Sports 1, Proximus Pickx+ Sports 1, Auvio.be RTBF), Czech Republic (CT Sport), Denmark (TV2 Sport), France (L'Equipe TV), Hungary (M4 Sport), Italy (RAI Sport HD), Japan (J-Sports 4), Malaysia (Astro), Netherlands (NPO) and Slovakia (STVR Sport). Eurosport (Europe) and SuperSport (Africa) will also offer coverage for entire continents, while territories without an official broadcaster will be able to watch the races live via the UCI YouTube channel.
