Last weekend's UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Vogelheide proved that the sport still has enough appeal to attract a large audience. The decade-long rivalry between Mathieu van der Pol and Wout van Aert turned out to be one of the most exciting times on sports television this season on Sunday.

But what happens when these superstars stand still?

Thomas van den Spiegel, CEO of Flanders Classics, the organizer of the World Cup, hopes to use the momentum of Hoogerheide's success to secure cyclocross' future.

On Sporza's podcast De Tribune, Van Den Spiegel discussed the strengths and limitations of the sport with VRT commentator José De Cauwer and shared his vision for the future.

"Cyclocross has advantages that road cycling doesn't: it's over in an hour, men and women are almost equal, the constant laps by riders guarantee a lot of visibility for sponsors, and it has star riders.

"All of these are things that the sport is already benefiting from, but also guarantee the future of cyclocross. Now we must be able to make plans that can give cross a future without Mathieu and Wout," van den Spiegel said.

This will no doubt anger other cyclocross organizers who are already under pressure since the expansion of the World Cup to 14 races. Van den Spiegel dared to suggest that the traditional "kerstperiode" race in December would be counterproductive.

"The more scarce a product is, the more successful it is. Here [in Belgium] - especially at Christmas time - there is an oversupply of crosses. It works, but it is not productive for the future.

"We should take the big white sheet and start over from scratch. Because I think we can make (the calendar) better.

"I think it makes sense for the World Cup to be the basis for that new calendar. Fill those 14 rounds and try to build a very good product and calendar around that."

Less controversial was the proposal to somehow pair cyclocross with the burgeoning gravel racing scene to create year-round interest.

"With the advent of gravel racing," de Kower suggested, "we may be able to create a new type of cyclist who combines both elements, cyclocross in the winter and gravel in the summer.

"Why can't every pro team have one or two cyclocross or gravel riders? The juniors have a world champion in Leo Bijoux, so they should be allowed to stay in cyclo-cross. So if we can get cross on French TV, ....... Or if we have a star from Italy: ......"

Van der Valkenburg.

Van den Spiegel agreed. He said, "Let's not forget that the likes of Alaphilippe, Pogacar, Stybar, and Sagan are competing in cyclocross, so it would be nice if they could be shown on the French TV.

"Riders should be able to practice both disciplines instead of having to choose. I think Mathieu and Wout are very good ambassadors for this."

North American riders have seen cyclocross sponsorships dry up as the industry has become more and more enthusiastic about gravel, but van den Spiegel sees the two disciplines as complementary.

"Cyclocross riders are made for the sport of gravel. Cyclocross riders are made for the sport of gravel. We see them as complementing each other rather than threatening each other."