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Zdeněk Štybar’s 10 Indispensable Bits of Sage Cyclo-cross Advice

By Frantiska Blazkova

Cyclo-cross, one of the hot talks of the cycling town, is a delightful mixture of skill and muddy mayhem, and its unpredictability and heaps of action make it an extremely well-loved spectator sport. With its pretty low-key, enthusiastic, and relaxed scene, cyclo-cross is the discipline where everyone can find their place.

If you’ve tried your hand at some local races and naturally want more, such as “serious” amateur and semi-pro events, it might be time to approach things with a pro mindset. As the sport’s biggest race, the 2025 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, is coming up this weekend, I decided to write down a little guide to perhaps encourage more riders to give this thrilling discipline a go and give pointers to those who already have some CX rides under their belt. In the 10 points below I gleaned during my pro years, you’ll find all you should not underestimate.

1. Scouting the course before the race

For starters, the true basics. The essential first step is to thoroughly inspect the race course, ideally a day before, and not only on paper. This will let you know what to expect and allow for possible bike adjustments. Allocate plenty of time to this task as you want to come back to the tricky parts and try out different approaches. Pay attention to the bits where you might need to dismount, hoist your bike, and run. I’ll explain why this matters a few points further.

Getting familiar with the course will tell you how to apply your strengths, whether it’s speed or perfect cornering, which is essential for a winning CX performance.

2. Double-checking the course on the race day

Weather conditions and temperature can make or break your race day. Make sure to do a recon ride a few hours before the start because rain, dew or frost might have done a number on the course you scouted just yesterday. Tip out your ideal lines and try out alternatives in case the preferred ones won’t be available during the race itself.  Finding the fastest lines is key.

Don’t always assume that the brown ‘racing’ lines are the best, quickest, and safest way around. Practice using different techniques and adapt as conditions change. Trust your choices. 

3. Picking the correct tyres and pressure

The correct choice of tyres is essential and often individual. Each race may require a different type depending on the conditions. In sand and mud, it is common to ride with lower pressures, sometimes around 1.1 bar. On the other hand, in faster races, the pressure can reach up to 1.8 bar. Don’t just blindly pump up your tyres to road or recommended CX pressures, experiment with what feels great to you. In time, you’ll be able to tell the pressure in your tyres just from how they handle.

One thing is clear in cyclo-cross: you’ll never regret having more grip. It’s not the speed on the asphalt that’s gonna make the difference, it’s the speed you can carry around all the grassy corners, forest paths, and sandy pits. So when in doubt, go for more knobs.

At the 2014 Cyclo-cross Worlds in Hoogerheide, I was the only one starting on the so-called semi-slick tyres because I wanted to conserve energy. They’re faster but lack grip in corners and on mud. After two laps, my mechanic changed them to ones with a deeper thread. I eventually won, but the semi-slicks were a risky decision, which nearly cost me a race.

4. An identical set of bikes

OK, this one is a bit more advanced, as it requires a set of bikes and someone to handle them for you, but you might have a dedicated group of friends or even a support crew if you’re a semi-pro. If you’re using spare bikes, they must be identically set up. And I mean with a millimetre precision. Any change in geometry or seat height is very noticeable during a race and might throw you off kilter. I was always very sensitive to any changes, you might be too. Especially if you invested in bike fitting (as you should) or know how to bike-fit yourself. So make sure to finetune all your bikes.

Zdeněk Štybar
The essential first step is to thoroughly inspect the race course, ideally a day before, and not only on paper. © Jakub Frey

5. A proper warmup

A thorough warmup ride on a bicycle ergometer before the start is a must. A meaningful one usually lasts between 20 and 30 minutes and should involve different intervals based on your preferences. An ergometer is no ordinary treadmill: the amount of exercise and pedal resistance can be controlled and predefined. If you don’t have access to an ergometer, a turbo trainer or a roller can do.

6. Starting position and strategy

When scouting the course, pay extra attention to studying the start segment. The first lap of a cyclo-cross race is always intense, and especially the first turn can be decisive. You have to plan your strategy to overtake the bunch already right after the start because if you’re in front after the first lap, there’s a good chance you will still be there at the end.

If you can, watch older race videos from the same course, study the direction of the peloton, and pay attention to what the best riders are doing and which line they are choosing. Don’t be afraid to learn from the competition.

7. Final-lap tactic

The second most important lap after the initial one is, naturally, the last one. Which tactics you choose will play a huge part in the outcome. Before you reach that lap, you should be clear about your pace and approach, be able to assess the energy you have left, and where (or if) you want to attack.

For example, when I was competing for the podium with Sven Nys in a cyclo-cross race once, I already knew what I wanted to do three laps before the end. In the final segment, due to tactical planning ahead, I decided to get off the bike, hoist it, and run with it. This forced Sven to dismount and run, too, and that was the surprise moment, which decided my victory.

8. Watch out for gravel frames

Gravel and cyclo-cross bikes might share a lot of characteristics, but there’s one thing that might spoil your race-day fun: a true ‘cross bike’s tyres cannot exceed a width of 33 mm, while a gravel bike’s tyre clearance can be much wider. The width of CX tyres is actually measured on the start line at competitions in the higher categories. However, the rules should not be too strict in the Novice and Intermediate categories but may vary depending on the race. Make sure you’ve done your research before you enter any CX event.

9. Suitable clothing

There is a certain spirit of “anything goes” in cyclo-cross – and the same goes for the kit. You should wear whatever is most comfortable and keep the weather in mind. After all, CX is a sport of the autumn and winter seasons. While waiting at the start line, you might think you’ll get cold, but your body temperature will quickly increase as soon as you get going.

You might see the pros wear aerodynamic skin suits, probably with thermal padding, but if you’re just starting with CX, you can afford to be more laid back. The worst are temps around 0°C with a muddy course because it’s hard to pin down suitable layers. Most importantly, keep your hands and feet warm because losing sensation in them can worsen your bike-handling skills. Once, in 2011, it started snowing massively at a race in Hamme Zogge despite the forecast. I finished utterly freezing and wished I’d brought some gaiters and a skull cap. Luckily, CX races only last about an hour compared to road ones.

In my experience, the general rule is: underdress for cyclo-cross, and overdress for the road.

10. Post-race regeneration

After the race, one should definitely not skip regeneration, proper nutrition, and a cooldown on a trainer. The races can be very intense and in fast succession as the CX season lasts from September to February.

One thing that the coaches also made us do when I was still a pro was an ice bath to prevent muscle strain and inflammation after the race. It’s certainly not the most pleasant activity in the world, especially when you just went through a high-intensity performance, but the relief afterwards is worth it.