La Planche des Belles Filles bids to bring cyclocross to 2030 Winter Olympics

Cyclocross could be set to make its Olympic debut at the 2030 Winter Olympics, with La Planche des Belles Filles submitting a formal bid to host the discipline in France.

La Planche des Belles Filles, which has seen some of the most recognisable moments in Tour de France history, no less than the stage 20 time-trial in 2020, has positioned itself as a potential venue for cyclocross as part of plans to add four additional sports to the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps, according to French newspaper L'Équipe.

The bid has garnered significant support, including from UCI President David Lappartient and Michel Barnier, former Prime Minister of France, who now serves on the organising committee for the 2030 Winter Games. 

Barnier attended the 2025 Cyclocross World Championships that were hosted in Lievin, France, and had plenty of positive things to say. "I was very impressed by the popular success of cyclocross."

Documents obtained by L'Équipe reveal the application promises to deliver "an unforgettable venue" that would enhance the popular image of the Winter Olympics.

While the city of Besançon has also reportedly expressed interest in hosting the cyclocross events, Lucie Lefèvre, who leads the project at La Planche des Belles Filles, remains confident in their proposal's strength.

"We are located just a four-hour drive from Belgium and the Netherlands, where cyclocross culture is robust. We know how to make it work; it will be a grand celebration," Lefèvre promises.

The inclusion of cyclocross in the Winter Olympics would represent a landmark moment for the discipline, which has traditionally enjoyed its strongest following in Belgium and the Netherlands. However, cyclocross is also a very popular discipline in many other European countries as well as in North America, and many great road-riders have transitioned from the discipline, or continue to incorporate it with their road racing, such as Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock.

A final decision on which additional sports will be included in the 2030 programme, and where they will be hosted, has not yet been announced by the International Olympic Committee.