January 06, 2014 (Lausanne, Switzerland) – Next week will see an important discussion taking place between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the UCI regarding the possible inclusion of a new cycling event at the Olympic Games. Peter Van Den Abeele, Off-Road Manager at the UCI, has an appointment next week with Christophe Dubi, sports director of the IOC, to discuss the inclusion of cyclocross in the program of the Olympic Winter Games reports the Belgian-based Het Nieuwsblad.

Cyclocross advocates have been hoping for years of inclusion at Olympic Games, but now a number of factors might make this a reality. Brian Cookson, the new UCI president, is an advocate of cyclocross and apparently gets along well with the new IOC President Thomas Bach.

Another factor is that cyclocross now joins forces with the mighty International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) which would like to see cross-country running at the Winter Games; a prospect currently blocked by an IOC  rule that there must be snow or ice for the activity to take place. If this rule can be modified, then the door is open for both cross-country running and cyclocross.

Het Nieuwsblad (in Flemish) here.