Several Belgian and Luxembourg riders were forced to withdraw from the 2026 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Hulst on Saturday morning after falling ill overnight at a shared team hotel.
The Belgian Cycling Team confirmed on social media that Zita Peeters, Kay De Bruyckere and Julie Brouwers would not start their respective events, citing illness. Kenay De Moyer was called up as a late replacement for De Bruyckere in the men's U23 race.
Grand-Ducal Cycling, a social channel used for communication by Luxembourg's national federation, reported that June Nothum, Ben Fleming and Layla Barthels had also fallen sick. The federation described the incident as "sans doute une intoxication alimentaire" – probably food poisoning – and noted that four Belgian riders at the same hotel were affected.
Symptoms were reported between Friday evening and early Saturday morning. Several of the affected riders, including Peeters, De Bruyckere, Brouwers and Nothum, had competed in the mixed relay on Friday afternoon and showed no signs of illness during that event.
Impact on competition
The withdrawals have reduced the number of starters across multiple categories. Peeters and Nothum were both set to race in the junior women's event on Saturday morning, while Brouwers was expected to line up in the elite women's race later in the weekend.
De Bruyckere will not start in the men's U23 category, where he was considered a contender. His replacement, De Moyer, received the call-up at short notice.
It is common practice for national federations to share hotel accommodation at major championships – usually on account of a limited number of options within range and with enough outdoor space for bikes, mechanics and team infrastructure. In this case, riders from both delegations staying at the same hotel have fallen ill.
It is not clear if the national senior squads were sharing the same accommodation, but so far the federations have not declared any further abandons.
Related – How to watch the UCI World Championships in Hulst
Cover image credit: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com
