USA Cycling Cyclocross Nationals, held at  Cantigny Park in Dupage County, IL from December 7-12, 2021 gave us the opportunity to close out the American cyclocross season with cold rain, wind, mud and even ice on a course just outside of Chicago that had never been raced on before. After the cancellation of the 2020 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championship due to the Pandemic, cyclocross racers of all ages and abilities were able to race at the National level once again. Here are our top five take-aways from our week near the Windy City!

Dutch rider Harrie Lavreysen took gold in the marquee men's sprint event at the track cycling world championships in a packed Roubaix indoor velodrome on Sunday, beating his compatriot Jeffrey Hoogland in the final.

Kirsten Wild and Amy Pieters of the Netherlands clinched their third women's Madison title at the world track cycling championships on Saturday as the tournament became a showcase for the sport's veterans.

Title holder Julian Alaphilippe won cycling's world championships road race on Sunday, after dropping all of his rivals following a series of solo attacks on Flanders' cobbled hills. The Frenchman attacked from 50km out to create an elite group of 17 riders, then again from 15km to edge away to a solo victory in an epic 268km struggle through cycling's heartland. As road race world champion, Alaphilippe will race the next year wearing the fabled rainbow jersey another year after winning in similar fashion at the 2020 event in Italy.

Italy's Elisa Balsamo won the women's world road race title on Saturday ending a four-year run of success for Dutch riders. The 23-year-old held off a challenge by the Netherlands' three-time champion Marianne Vos to take the rainbow jersey after a gruelling 157.7 kilometres ride under clear blue skies. Balsamo crossed the line with her arms spread wide in celebration as she became the first Italian to win the title since Giorgia Bronzini won the second of her two titles in 2011.

Tony Martin ended his career in style on Wednesday after helping Germany to win the mixed relay time-trial title at cycling's world championships in Flanders.

European road race champion Ellen Van Dijk of the Netherlands claimed a second time-trial title at cycling's world championships on Monday after finishing ahead of Marlen Reusser and Annemiek Van Vlueten. The 34-year-old Van Dijk was 10 seconds faster than Switzerland's Reusser, who was also runner-up in the Olympic event in July, and 24sec ahead of her compatriot Van Vleuten, who won in Tokyo. Van Dijk went down the ramp over an hour before her key rivals and had a "quite horrible" nervous wait in the leader's hot seat.

Italy's Filippo Ganna retained his time-trial crown at cycling's world championships in Bruges on Sunday. The 25-year-old Ineos rider defended his title by beating local favourite Wout Van Aert (Jumbo) by five seconds in a carbon copy of last year's outcome. Another Belgium rider,  Remco Evenepoel took third, 43sec back at the end of a flat 43.3km course in the opening event of the championships in the Belgian city.

Magnus Cort Nielsen of EF-Nippo won his third stage on the Vuelta a Espana on Friday as he and six other escapees defied a speeding peloton by 20 seconds after a hilly stage 19 run into Galicia.

Miguel Angel Lopez climbed through the mist and drizzle to win the brutal 18th stage of the Vuelta a Espana on the Alto d'El Gamoniteiro on Thursday.

Primoz Roglic surged toward a third straight Vuelta a Espana title as he overpowered his rivals in brutal conditions on Wednesday to win atop the iconic ascent to Lagos de Covadonga. The Slovenian, who began the 17th stage third overall, won after a 185.8km ride when the peloton covered three intimidating climbs in often pouring rain. "I went well today," said Roglic. "I enjoyed it. Super-nice day for me and for the whole team. "Without the rain it would have probably been even nicer." By the start of the final climb only Egan Bernal, the reigning Giro d'Italia champion and a former Tour de France winner, was still with Roglic. But Jumbo-Visma's Roglic ended the heavyweight battle with one knockout blow, accelerating away from the Colombian with 7.5km to go. "I didn't decide to go, I just tried to ride up the climb as fast as possible and at that point Egan couldn't follow anymore," said Roglic. Bernal admitted the better man had won the stage. "I was happy to be part of this victory for him, he was brave," Bernal said. "He was the strongest today." While Roglic floated up the mountain, Bernal was unable to hold off his pursuers. Another Jumbo rider, American Sepp Kuss grabbed second, outsprinting six other rivals to cross the line 1min 35sec after Roglic. "Impressive day by everyone in the race," said Kuss, soaking wet but beaming at the finish. "Full on all day."Roglic leads Spaniard Enric Mas of Movistar by 2mins 22sec.

Fabio Jakobsen's remarkable comeback from a brush with death continued apace Tuesday as the Dutchman won a third stage of La Vuelta a Espana on his 25th birthday.

Frenchman Florian Senechal outsprinted a reduced field to win stage 13 of the Vuelta a Espana on Friday after his Deceuninck Quick Step teammate Fabio Jakobsen failed to keep pace in the run in due to a flat tyre.

Magnus Cort Nielsen won stage 12 of the Vuelta a Espana on Thursday on a 175km run through sunny Andalucia, a day after being foiled in a long range bid just 200m from home.

Double defending Vuelta champion Primoz Roglic made a statement of intent Wednesday when he hunted down Magnus Cort Nielsen's desperate long range escape for a Stage 11 win that went down to the wire.