The X2O Badkamers Trofee opens on Sunday, November 1, with the Koppenbergcross in Oudenaarde, where the field races on the narrow cobbled climb best known from the Tour of Flanders. Thibau Nys and world champion Lucinda Brand (both Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions) return as defending champions. The elite women start at 13:45 CET and the elite men at 15:00 CET.
Koppenbergcross opens the eight-round X2O Badkamers Trofee, a series decided by cumulative race time rather than points. It is separate from the World Cup and Superprestige, which have their own standings: Sunday's race counts towards the X2O title, not the other two. We’ve offered a visual explainer on that in the graphic below.
Cyclo-cross 2026–27
Koppenbergcross opens the X2O Trofee
Below are the favourites, course and viewing options for both elite races, including free coverage in Belgium and subscription services elsewhere.
Race schedule
Sunday 1 November 2026
- 13:45CETElite women
- 15:00CETElite men
Course preview
The circuit links the cobbled ascent with grass, off-camber slopes, tight corners and short descents, so riders switch constantly between climbing and handling. When it rains, the Koppenberg turns to mud and riders are often forced to run it. Slippery grass on the approach also makes it harder to reach the cobbles with any speed.
Brand built her winning margin in 2025 on the final cobbled ascent, after Célia Gery (Specialized TMRW) had cut her lead to around five seconds. Nys won the men's race from the front, and after that victory he said: "If you let your focus drop a little to try to build in some reserves or recover, mistakes simply happen. That doesn't work, so it is an hour at the limit."
Race favourites
Nys (Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions) starts his cyclo-cross season here. The Belgian champion won in 2023 and 2025, beating Cameron Mason (777TV CX Team) by 21 seconds last year, but said his preparation is behind last year's. "I'll have to rediscover my cyclocross form very quickly, because I haven't cycled for ten days," he told Sporza.
Michael Vanthourenhout (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) is on the official start list and brings the best form in the field: his win at Superprestige Overijse last week was his fourth in five races this autumn. Mason, fourth at Overijse, is an outsider. Joris Nieuwenhuis (Heizomat-Cube), Joran Wyseure (Crelan-Corendon) and Pim Ronhaar (Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions) are also on the official men's start list.
Brand (Baloise Verzekeringen-Het Poetsbureau Lions) is the clear favourite. She won here last year by 19 seconds from Gery and won at Overijse on October 25. Her cyclo-cross contract runs separately from her road move to Canyon//SRAM. Gery (Specialized TMRW) won at Nommay on October 25 but has raced with leg pain since August because of an iliac-artery problem and will have surgery this winter. Sara Casasola (Crelan-Corendon), third last year, makes her cyclo-cross season debut after a road programme that included the Tour de France Femmes.
Fem van Empel (Specialized TMRW) is also on the official women's start list. She won here in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and a fourth victory would equal Helen Wyman's record. After almost a year away from cyclo-cross, Van Empel returned with fourth place in Meulebeke and fifth in Heerde. Her record on this course makes her another rider Brand must watch.
The field also includes Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Fenix-Premier Tech), Inge van der Heijden (Crelan-Corendon), Amandine Fouquenet (Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw) and Marie Schreiber (Team SD Worx-Protime).
How to watch Koppenbergcross
Belgian viewers can watch for free on Sporza and VRT MAX, UK viewers can watch on TNT Sports and HBO Max, and FloBikes streams both elite races.
How to watch
| Region | Broadcaster | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Belgium | Sporza / VRT MAX | Free | Live coverage on Sporza, streaming on VRT MAX |
 United Kingdom | TNT Sports / HBO Max | £30.99 per month, or £25.99 per month on a 12-month plan | Elite races on TNT Sports 3, streaming on HBO Max with a TNT Sports plan |
BelgiumUnited KingdomLegal free streams
Velora tip: Many countries offer free-to-air official coverage. Certain national broadcasters show the race live for free, entirely legally:
- Belgium: Sporza, streaming on VRT MAX
You can safely access your usual services abroad through a trusted VPN without breaking any rules. If you're abroad, you can connect through a VPN to your home country to access these official, legal feeds, just as if you were at home.
Using a VPN legally while travelling
Broadcasters often limit streams to home viewers. If you're travelling, a VPN lets you securely connect to your home network, so you can keep watching your existing paid or free account from abroad.
How to do it:
- Download NordVPN, our recommended VPN for streaming while travelling.
- Connect to your home country, for example Belgium for VRT MAX.
- Open your usual broadcaster's site or app and start watching safely.
HBO Max says its availability depends on your physical location. If you get a location error, it advises turning off VPNs and proxies.
Velora never endorses bypassing broadcast rights. A VPN should only be used to access official services, whether paid or free-to-air, while abroad.
Always use legitimate platforms. Unofficial streams often breach copyright and expose viewers to malware or fake ads.
Quick recap
- Watch live through official broadcasters: TNT Sports and HBO Max in the UK, FloBikes and Sporza
- Watch free and legal coverage on Sporza and VRT MAX in Belgium
- Travelling abroad? Use a VPN to keep access to your home subscription safely
- Avoid illegal or pirate streams, which are unsafe and breach copyright
- Watch the Koppenbergcross live, free where available, and securely, wherever you are
Velora only promotes VPN use to maintain access to legitimate, paid or free-to-air services while abroad.
