The Cyclocross World Cup, Val di Sole, will take place on the snows of the Italian Alps as the sport expands beyond the Belgian center and seeks to convince the International Olympic Committee that it is eligible to compete in the Winter Olympics.

The elite men's and women's races will be held on Sunday, December 12 in and around the Vermilio Cross Country Ski Center. Vermiglio is located at 1,261 meters above sea level at the foot of the Passo del Tonale, which separates the Trentino and Lombardy regions.

The Val di Sole circuit is designed to include snow sections, although Nordic races are sometimes hit by snow and ice. If winter comes early to the Alpine valley, the entire race may be contested on snow and ice instead of mud, grass, and gravel.

One of the guiding principles of the Winter Olympics is that all competitions be held on snow or ice.

"We are aiming for courses on snow, artificial or not, and hope that IOC President Thomas Bach will see it," said Thomas Van den, CEO of Flanders Classics, organizer of the cyclocross World Cup. Spiegel told Wielerflits.

"There is a bit of snow on the ground now, but more is expected. Chris Mannaerts, cyclocross manager of the Flanders Classic, added: "Of course we will continue to monitor it closely.

"If there is not enough snow, we will be able to make up for it with available snow cannons, just as in the cross-country skiing and biathlon events."

Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock will return to cyclocross in early December, competing in the Vale di Sole.

Mathieu van der Poel will make his cyclocross debut at the Rucphen World Cup in the Netherlands on December 18, while many other riders have chosen to avoid racing in Val di Sole.

Revelations about secret starting funds and extra travel expenses to compete in different rounds of the World Cup sparked debate about the shakeup of the cyclocross season.

Marianne Vos and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado will not ride in Italy, and Sven Nys confirmed that his Baloise Trek Lions will be attending a training camp rather than traveling to Italy. This means that new European Champion Lars Van Der Haar, World Champion Lucinda Brand, and Tibau Nys will not be riding the Val di Sole snow race.

"It's a great shame. This is the most innovative thing cyclocross sport has known in recent years," a disappointed Van den Spiegel told Wielerflits.

"I expected everyone to do their part. It's a shame that Valoise Trek, an important stakeholder in the sport, decided to skip the Val di Sole race in favor of a training camp.

"There is no need for drama to ensue. But the race in Val di Sole is a unique opportunity to take a certain position in cyclocross. I can only hope that some people will still keep this cross race on their agenda."