Olympic cross-country mountain bike champion Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing) is set to return to elite cyclo-cross, appearing on the provisional start list for the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Namur on Sunday 14 December 2025.
Dutch outlet WielerFlits first reported Neff’s name on the preliminary participants list for Round 4 at the Citadel of Namur. The UCI race hub lists the Namur World Cup for that date and venue, although final start lists are still to be published.
If she lines up, it will be Neff’s first World Cup cyclo-cross appearance since 2021 in Waterloo, Wisconsin, ending a four-year absence from the series. Since 2021 she has concentrated on mountain biking, winning Olympic gold in 2021 and remaining a fixture at the top of the XCO scene.
Namur offers a fittingly dramatic backdrop for a comeback. The hillside circuit above the Meuse is one of cyclocross’s most iconic venues, known for its steep, rutted climbs, treacherous off-cambers and long stair sections that reward bike handling and sheer resilience in equal measure.
Neff has a rich history in the discipline, with Swiss national titles and previous strong rides at World Cup level, and her possible return adds an extra layer of intrigue to a women’s series already shaken up by new names in the opening rounds. Her presence would pull in mountain bike fans as the World Cup standings begin to solidify on one of the calendar’s most brutal stages.
For now, her status remains provisional, with confirmation to come via the organiser and UCI start lists closer to race day.
Cover image credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
