Injury epidemiology in cyclocross. A preliminary study.

Abstract

Cyclocross is a growing discipline in competitive cycling, yet there is a lack of epidemiological data on injury patterns within the discipline. This study aimed to describe the incidence, type, location and mechanisms of injuries sustained during a national-level cyclocross event, using standardized injury surveillance methodology. A prospective observational study was conducted at the 2025 British National Cyclocross Championships. Medical staff recorded injuries using the IOC consensus statement on injury and illness reporting, with adaptations from the UCI cycling-specific injury surveillance framework. Injury incidence was calculated per 1000 athlete-hours, and injury characteristics were analyzed by sex, mechanism, and severity. Overall, 6.7% of 534 cyclists sustained an injury during the event. The overall injury incidence was 98.62 injuries per 1,000 athlete-hours (95% CI: 69.07-136.53). Most injuries (91.9%) were acute. Lacerations (38%) and joint sprains (17%) were the most common diagnoses, with the knee (43%) being the most frequently affected body part. The mean injury severity was 6.83 ± 15.44 days. The primary mechanism of injury was contact with the ground or course features (56.8%). While males sustained more injuries, females experienced significantly longer time-loss per injury (mean 22.5 days vs. 4.88 days; <i>p</i> < 0.05). Cyclocross is associated with a high rate of predominantly moderate acute injuries, differing from injury patterns seen in road or mountain biking. These findings highlight the need for discipline-specific injury prevention strategies and further research, particularly into sex-based differences and risk mitigation during technical sections of races.