The Crosscast

In Episode 13 of Season 9, Neil, Xan, and Matt look back on the 2025-26 cyclocross season.  They talk through the World Cup, which they agree had zero duff rounds this year, but are disappointed that Terralba is missing from next year, just as it is finding its identity.   They reflect on the rules on scoring for Superprestige, that meant points-tied Van Alphen took the series ahead of Fouquenet,...

In Episode 12 of season 9, Neil, Matt and Xan report back from being on site at the 2026 Cyclocross World Championships from Hulst, both from working inside the media trucks and shouting from the other side of the side.  Bringing the fresh memories of all experiences of the World Champs, they discuss a full-on septet of superb races.   Of course, they also unpack this year's podium picker com...

In Episode 11 of Season 9 Neil, Xan and Matt give their predictions for the 2026 #cyclocross World Champs and you can too at https://tinyurl.com/hulstcx26 😊 They look back on the finale of the 25-26 World Cup with races from #maasmechelen and #hoogerheide , both of which Xan was racing.  She gives her views from being on the ground... well, on the bike... and - yay - didn't have any mechanic...

In Episode 10 of Season 9, Neil, Xan and Matt look back on the National Championships from South Shields.  Xan looks back on her race and her second place finish, after doing the jersey proud for the past 12 months.  Neil also revisits the weekend where he was also racing and working with Grity. They give their views on the planned changes to the National Trophy Series that will be introduced next...

In Episode 9 of Season 9 Neil, Xan and Matt look back on their highly committed many hours of cyclocross watching, racing, working and commentating with a look back on the second half of the Kerste Periode.  They send comiserations to those riders crashing out for the end of the season and hope for quick recoveries.   They look back on the final round of the National Trophy that came from Irvine. ...

In Episode 8 of Season 9 Neil, Xan and Matt extract themselves for 'cross duties to chat through the Kerste Periode with some stunning racing.  After giving birthday greetings to Xan and Neil, they look back on the A to Z of Antwerp to Zolder, the sand of Koksijde and Hofstade and the missing mud from Gavere. With new stars starting to shine for mid season from Del Grosso and Fouquenet we hav...

In Episode 7 of Season 9 Neil, Xan and Matt jump into a mega few weeks of  cyclocross goodness. Neil reports back on Hunsworth National Trophy with its December mud, cracking course, and great atmosphere. They mention the parking nightmare that unfolded - oof. Neil also reports back on his local racing at a very old classic venue, and compares notes with Xan who was bringing in a top 6 at Kortrijk...

It is Crosscast Episode 100.  Thanks to all of you who have been here since the start, and we've loved collecting listeners over the years. In Episode 6 of Season 9, Neil, Xan, and Matt cast their minds back to a frozen Tabor which turned out to be a classic.  Great racing, incident-packed action and skills and power both on display.  Xan talks us through her race with her cracking start mean...

In Episode 5 of Season 9, Neil, Xan and Matt review the European Championships in which Xan brought home a top 20 for GB in the Elite Female category, and had two totally contrasting races for the Elite Men and Elite Women.  Xan gives the inside story of how the race went, and just how tough the course was.   They also talk through the two bike frames that took some of the limelight from being a c...

In episode 4 of season 9 Neil Xan and Matt kick off with a few memories of how important Lars van der Haar has been to cyclocross racing across the world, now he has announced that this season will be his Laatste Ronde, his final season. The look back on Clanfied Cross, that finally proved its potential after a tough start last year.  Neil and Xan talk about their own races, and in true CX-traditi...

In episode 3 of season 9 Neil Xan and Matt review the Falkirk National Trophy with its tough course, and wet conditions.  Neil reflects on his experiences, and how the racing unfolded over the weekend.  Meanwhile Xan returned to Sweden where she had a successful series of 4 races, with a win and two further podiums... a first UCI win in the National Champs jersey. They return to the topic of race...

In Episode 2 of Season 9 Neil, Xan, and Matt review the Three Peaks, the legendary race that Neil raced, Xan pitted, and Matt watched from the social feeds. Neil recounts his own experience where despite a Pen Y Ghent prang, him and Lotta won the parent-daughter category. They also look at the sharp end where Jenson Young took the course record to take the win along with Briony Halcrow in a really...

In Episode 1 of Season 9, Neil, Matt and Xan are back after a summer on the mic and on the bike... Neil got an injury and also a win, Xan dropped the watts on crits and grave, and Matt has been putting words to World Championships MTB, as well as road racing and e-sports. They look back at the Hope Supercross series with four UCI races in 9 days.  Whilst all on the same course, there was variety d...

In Episode 13 of season 8 Neil, Matt and Xan review the Lievin World Champs with its magnificent team relay that was exciting even with just the live timing.  They cover all the races and The Crosscast Podium Picker competition in which Xan proved her expertise unlike Matt and Neil who didn’t have a great year!   Was the course exciting, dull, challenging, or just confusing?  What do you think? In...

In Episode 12 of Season 8, Neil, Matt and Xan unpack a pair of tough races that rounded out the World Cup.  Xan gives her on-the-ground review of just how tough they were, at the technical-tastic Maasmechelen and total classic of Hoogerheide.  They give thoughts on the World Cup as whole and whether the compressed calendar worked. The most important competition of the year is on us all!  Yes it is...

In Episode 11 of Season 8, Neil, Matt and Xan look back on the recent goings on in the world of cross.  In a show that has more ups and downs than the Loenhout washboard (AKA the 'oopsie whoopsies') they travel from the ice of Cyclopark to the Mediterranean sunshine of Benidorm. This week the National Body has received a lot of criticism and they unpack the issues surrounding World Champ...

CROSSCAST LIVE from Cyclopark Gravesend.  Live from the cafe, Neil Matt and Xan talk through the action from the National Champs.  The big news is that Xan did it - she is National Elite Cyclocross Champion! Awesome. Support the show -- To support the show pop over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/crosscast to make a donation towards our hosting fees - every little helps!   You can watch us on YouT...

In Episode 9 of Season 8, Neil Matt and Xan look back on the end of the 2024-2025 Kerste Periode remembering an entertaining Baal with Van Empel only leading the race for about 1 metre (the most important 1 metre), and Iserbyt at his best.  Koksijde added Sweeck to the list of legends, and Dendermonde was somehow a great watch despite some dominant rides and its usually ultra mud bath course.   Th...

In Episode 8 of Season 8 Neil, Matt and Xan catch up in the middle of the busiest time of the CX calendar, the Kerste Periode.  With so much action they bring you a full show covering classics such as Zonhoven and Hulst, Diegem and Loenhout, with a decent look at Besancon. Xan takes us through her experiences racing on some of the most challenging parcours of the year, and gives us insight into ho...

In Episode 7 of Season 8 Neil, Matt and Xan catch up after a memorable few weeks… and Xan tells us how she is after her TV-time and horrible incident on the Namur bank.  They catch up on what happened and what didn’t at Clanfield National Trophy and Cabras / Namur World Cups.  Neil raced day 1 of Clanfield (25th and fun had 😊) as did the regional champs crews in a very welcome and successful retu...

In Episode 6 of Season 8 Neil and Matt are joined by Xan after her adventures at the World Cup that kicked off in Antwerp and then in Dublin.   Xan gives us all the details of the course from a rider's view with insights on the course, the atmosphere, the (lack of) grip, and we have to say it is awesome to see that Xan has got the top 50 World Ranking that has been a target for a while - ace...

In Episode 5 of Season 8 Neil and Matt (and TheGrityKitty) catch up on Round 3 of the National Trophy that came from Torbay and delivered an unexpected fast and dry(ish) course with technical flow. They talk through the tactical racing and even dip into a few stats comparing this year to last year.  Neil corrects an error from last show and educates himself on Pearson Bikes and DAS.  They reflect...

In Episode 4 of season 8 Neil Matt and Xan look back on the past few weeks of racing. This included Xan’s ongoing adventures in Sweden as well as her return to the Koppenburg.  Matt is back from the 2024 UCI Cycling Esports World Championships, and whilst the tech remained bug free… he got infected by a virus and so a little croaky today 🦠. They look back on the south Shields National trophy wher...

In Epidode 3 of Season 8 Neil, Matt and Xan look back on One National Trophy , Two races in Sweden , and Three Peaks . They remember 2017’s Season 1 Episode 2 of The Crosscast when they mentioned Zoe Roche and Finlay Goodman who were U10s. Class shows… Zoe just won Juniors at the Derby National Trophy and Finlay just won the Junior World X-Terra title. Awesome.  In Crosstalk, Neil re-lives a memor...

In Episode 2 of Season 8 Neil and Matt are joined by Spectra’s Xan Crees fresh from her complete set of Hope Supercross finishes.  They reflect on how the series has quickly become established and has attracted riders from across the world to the joys of Yorkshire Cross. They highlight who is standing out as starting the season on form and who has more to give.  In the Laatste Ronde they preview t...