French riders Jean Robic, Roger Rondeaux and André Dufraisse were the first riders to take the title at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships in the first decade after the event was created in 1950. Since the mid-1960s, however, the Belgians have won the most titles.
However, it has been Dutch rider Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) who is the most successful after taking her eight elite world title in 2022 to surpass the record previously held by her and Erik De Vlaeminck.
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is the only active rider with four world titles. The Dutchman took his first elite title in 2015 but was bested the next three years by Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma).
Van der Poel took over from 2019-2021 before both riders skipped the 2022 Worlds in Fayetteville, won by Tom Pidcock. While the Briton will not race the 2023 championship, both Van Aert and Van der Poel are favorites to add to their record.
Belgian Sanne Cant also has three titles but will not compete at Worlds this year, having not been competitive against the powerful Dutch women. Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany) was the first women’s world champion and won four between 2000 and 2008.
This season, Fem van Empel (Jumbo-Visma), Puck Pieterse (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Shirin van Anrooij (Trek-Segafredo) have taken over as the top women from Lucinda Brand, who was injured early in the season, and Vos, who hasn’t quite had the level of last year.
Other races have been added over the years, with junior men getting a title in 1979, under-23 men in 1996, under-23 women in 2016 and junior women in 2020.
| pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Tom Pidcock (GBr) | |
| 2021 | Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) | |
| 2020 | Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) | |
| 2019 | Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) | |
| 2018 | Wout van Aert (Bel) | |
| 2017 | Wout van Aert (Bel) | |
| 2016 | Wout van Aert (Bel) | |
| 2015 | Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) | |
| 2014 | Zdenek Stybar (Cze) | |
| 2013 | Sven Nys (Bel) | |
| 2012 | Niels Albert (Bel) | |
| 2011 | Zdenek Stybar (Cze) | |
| 2010 | Zdenek Stybar (Cze) | |
| 2009 | Niels Albert (Bel) | |
| 2008 | Lars Boom (Ned) | |
| 2007 | Erwin Vervecken (Bel) | |
| 2006 | Erwin Vervecken (Bel) | |
| 2005 | Sven Nys (Bel) | |
| 2004 | Bart Wellens (Bel) | |
| 2003 | Bart Wellens (Bel) | |
| 2002 | Mario De Clercq (Bel) | |
| 2001 | Erwin Vervecken (Bel) | |
| 2000 | Richard Groenendaal (Ned) | |
| 1999 | Mario De Clercq (Bel) | |
| 1998 | Mario De Clercq (Bel) | |
| 1997 | Daniele Pontoni (Ita) | |
| 1996 | Adri van der Poel (Ned) | |
| 1995 | Dieter Runkel (Swi) | |
| 1994 | Paul Herygers (Bel) | |
| 1993 | Dominique Arnould (Fra) | |
| 1992 | Mike Kluge (Ger) | |
| 1991 | Radomír Šimůnek (Cze) | |
| 1990 | Henk Baars (Ned) | |
| 1989 | Danny De Bie (Bel) | |
| 1988 | Pascal Richard (Swi) | |
| 1987 | Klaus-Peter Thaler (Ger) | |
| 1986 | Albert Zweifel (Swi) | |
| 1985 | Klaus-Peter Thaler (Ger) | |
| 1984 | Roland Liboton (Bel) | |
| 1983 | Roland Liboton (Bel) | |
| 1982 | Roland Liboton (Bel) | |
| 1981 | Hennie Stamsnijder (Ned) | |
| 1980 | Roland Liboton (Bel) | |
| 1979 | Albert Zweifel (Swi) | |
| 1978 | Albert Zweifel (Swi) | |
| 1977 | Albert Zweifel (Swi) | |
| 1976 | Albert Zweifel (Swi) | |
| 1975 | Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) | |
| 1974 | Albert Van Damme (Bel) | |
| 1973 | Erik De Vlaeminck (Bel) | |
| 1972 | Erik De Vlaeminck (Bel) | |
| 1971 | Erik De Vlaeminck (Bel) | |
| 1970 | Erik De Vlaeminck (Bel) | |
| 1969 | Erik De Vlaeminck (Bel) | |
| 1968 | Erik De Vlaeminck (Bel) | |
| 1967 | Renato Longo (Ita) | |
| 1966 | Erik De Vlaeminck (Bel) | |
| 1965 | Renato Longo (Ita) | |
| 1964 | Renato Longo (Ita) | |
| 1963 | Rolf Wolfshohl (Ger) | |
| 1962 | Renato Longo (Ita) | |
| 1961 | Rolf Wolfshohl (Ger) | |
| 1960 | Rolf Wolfshohl (Ger) | |
| 1959 | Renato Longo (Ita) | |
| 1958 | André Dufraisse (Fra) | |
| 1957 | André Dufraisse (Fra) | |
| 1956 | André Dufraisse (Fra) | |
| 1955 | André Dufraisse (Fra) | |
| 1954 | André Dufraisse (Fra) | |
| 1953 | Roger Rondeaux (Fra) | |
| 1952 | Roger Rondeaux (Fra) | |
| 1951 | Roger Rondeaux (Fra) | |
| 1950 | Jean Robic (Fra) |
| pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Marianne Vos (Ned) | |
| 2021 | Lucinda Brand (Ned) | |
| 2020 | Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado (Ned) | |
| 2019 | Sanne Cant (Bel) | |
| 2018 | Sanne Cant (Bel) | |
| 2017 | Sanne Cant (Bel) | |
| 2016 | Thalita de Jong (Ned) | |
| 2015 | Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Fra) | |
| 2014 | Marianne Vos (Ned) | |
| 2013 | Marianne Vos (Ned) | |
| 2012 | Marianne Vos (Ned) | |
| 2011 | Marianne Vos (Ned) | |
| 2010 | Marianne Vos (Ned) | |
| 2009 | Marianne Vos (Ned) | |
| 2008 | Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) | |
| 2007 | Maryline Salvetat (Fra) | |
| 2006 | Marianne Vos (Ned) | |
| 2005 | Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) | |
| 2004 | Laurence Leboucher (Fra) | |
| 2003 | Daphny van den Brand (Ned) | |
| 2002 | Laurence Leboucher (Fra) | |
| 2001 | Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) | |
| 2000 | Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger) |
| pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Joran Wyseure (Bel) | |
| 2021 | Pim Ronhaar (Ned) | |
| 2020 | Ryan Camp (Ned) | |
| 2019 | Tom Pidcock (GBr) | |
| 2018 | Eli Iserbyt (Bel) | |
| 2017 | Joris Nieuwenhuis (Ned) | |
| 2016 | Eli Iserbyt (Bel) | |
| 2015 | Michael Vanthourenhout (Bel) | |
| 2014 | Wout Van Aert (Bel) | |
| 2013 | Mike Teunissen (Ned) | |
| 2012 | Lars Van der Haar (Ned) | |
| 2011 | Lars Van der Haar (Ned) | |
| 2010 | Arnaud Jouffroy (Fra) | |
| 2009 | Philipp Walsleben (GER) | |
| 2008 | Niels Albert (Bel) | |
| 2007 | Lars Boom (Ned) | |
| 2006 | Zdenek Stybar (Cze) | |
| 2005 | Zdenek Stybar (Cze) | |
| 2004 | Kevin Pauwels (Bel) | |
| 2003 | Enrico Franzoi (Ita) | |
| 2002 | Thijs Verhagen (Ned) | |
| 2001 | Sven Vanthourenhout (Bel) | |
| 2000 | Bart Wellens (Bel) | |
| 1999 | Bart Wellens (Bel) | |
| 1998 | Sven Nys (Bel) | |
| 1997 | Sven Nys (Bel) | |
| 1996 | Miguel Martinez (Fra) |
| pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Puck Pieterse (Ned) | |
| 2021 | Fem van Empel (Ned) | |
| 2020 | Marion Norbert-Riberolle (Fra) | |
| 2019 | Inge van der Heijden (Ned) | |
| 2018 | Evie Richards (GBr) | |
| 2017 | Annemarie Worst (Ned) | |
| 2016 | Evie Richards (GBr) |
| pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Zoe Backstedt (GBr) | |
| 2021 | Not held due to Covid-19 | |
| 2020 | Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) |
| pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Jan Christen (Swi) | |
| 2021 | Not held due to Covid-19 | |
| 2020 | Thibau Nys (Bel) | |
| 2019 | Ben Tulett (GBr) | |
| 2018 | Ben Tulett (GBr) | |
| 2017 | Tom Pidcock (GBr) | |
| 2016 | Jens Dekker (Ned) | |
| 2015 | Simon Andreassen (Den) | |
| 2014 | Thijs Aerts (Bel) | |
| 2013 | Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) | |
| 2012 | Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) | |
| 2011 | Clement Venturini (Fra) | |
| 2010 | Tomas Paprstka (Cze) | |
| 2009 | Tijmen Eising (Ned) | |
| 2008 | Arnaud Jouffroy (Fra) | |
| 2007 | Joeri Adams (Bel) | |
| 2006 | Boy van Poppel (Ned) | |
| 2005 | Davide Malacarne (Ita) | |
| 2004 | Niels Albert (Bel) | |
| 2003 | Lars Boom (Ned) | |
| 2002 | Kevin Pauwels (Bel) | |
| 2001 | Martin Bina (Cze) | |
| 2000 | Bart Aernouts (Bel) | |
| 1999 | Matthew Kelly (USA) | |
| 1998 | Michael Baumgartner (Swi) | |
| 1997 | David Rusch (Swi) | |
| 1996 | Roman Peter (Swi) | |
| 1995 | Zdeněk Mlynář (Cze) | |
| 1994 | Gretienus Gommers (Ned) | |
| 1993 | Kamil Ausbuher (Cze) | |
| 1992 | Roger Hammond (GBr) | |
| 1991 | Ondrej Lukesh (Cze) | |
| 1990 | Eric Boezewinkel (Ned) | |
| 1989 | Richard Groenendaal (Ned) | |
| 1988 | Thomas Frischknecht (Swi) | |
| 1987 | Marc Janssens (Bel) | |
| 1986 | Stuart Marshall (GBr) | |
| 1985 | Beat Wabel (Swi) | |
| 1984 | Ondrej Glajza (Cze) | |
| 1983 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) | |
| 1982 | Beat Schumacher (Swi) | |
| 1981 | Rigobert Matt (Ger) | |
| 1980 | Radomír Šimůnek (Cze) | |
| 1979 | Jose Inaki Vijandi Alvarez (Spa) |