Cyclocross legend Sven Nys has expressed his concern at the vast amounts of appearance money Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel are earning in cyclocross, saying other riders are going unpaid, with an unsustainable situation arising.
A number of cyclocross riders vented their annoyance at the situation in the Belgian cycling press, though said they respected Van Aert and Van der Poel, and understood why they should be paid the most. However, they added if the current situation continued, they would not be able to carry on their careers and the number of pros racing 'cross would plummet.
Three-time world champion Zdenek Stybar (Team Jayco AlUla) confirmed he was starting races for free, explaining when he lined out at the recent Azencross race in Loenhout he was told there was no more money left to pay him a fee. That race was won by Van Aert (Jumbo Visma) from Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers).
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“I'm at the start here for free”, Stybar told Het Nieuwsblad. “Apparently there was no more budget. But I do this for the love of the sport and because it is good preparation for the road season.”
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World champion Pidcock is said to command appearance money of around €8,000 for major cyclocross events with Van der Poel reported to command a fee up to €15,000 and Van Aert up to €20,000 as he is said to sell the most tickets. Some of the biggest cyclocross fixtures in Europe sell more 20,000 tickets and many are now trying to get back on a firm footing after their events were cancelled during the pandemic.
Some pro cyclocross riders, who preferred to speak anonymously, contacted Het Nieuwsblad to raise their concerns. One said there would be about 10 pro riders left to compete in cyclocross races if the distribution of the appearance money continued to be so heavily weighted towards Van der Poel and Van Aert.
Nys, who was twice world elite champion during a glittering career, said everyone understood the positive impact Van Aert and Van der Poel had on cyclocross. But he believed some of the appearance money - which he suggested calling "expenses" - must remain for the "real crossers". If not, there was a danger the season would only last from the start of December until the Worlds.
“This situation is not healthy: I know that many guys have been at the start for free in recent weeks and will continue to be," he said. “We urgently need to put our heads together to brainstorm where we want to go with our sport. Because I'm afraid it can't go on like this."
