World Cup Besançon is held at the Malcombe site, now the Michel Vautrot sports complex, in eastern France. The course is mostly grass, broken up by stairs, short steep mounds and off-cambers, and it is normally fast, but cold and rain can turn it heavy and slippery. The city joined the World Cup in November 2021, when Toon Aerts led for much of a muddy race before crashing at the end of the penultimate lap, and Eli Iserbyt took his chance to win. Mathieu van der Poel won the next two editions, in January 2023 and December 2024, the second on a course where ice had formed over the mud and forced riders to take far more care than usual. Besançon is the only French round of the series. A win here goes to the rider who keeps their composure on a course that changes with the weather.