Marcel Meisen surprised by spot in German world championship team: "Maybe start for fun?"

One name immediately stood out when we got hold of the provisional start lists for the Cyclo-cross World Championships in Hulst: that of German champion Marcel Meisen. Hadn't the 37-year-old German said after winning his title in Bensheim that we wouldn’t see him in cross racing for the time being? We looked into it.

Meisen’s story is striking to say the least. Although he hung up his cyclocross bike in February 2025 after the World Championships in Liévin, he appeared again at the start of the German Cyclo-cross Championships for pros earlier this month. Meisen also won that race. That marked his tenth title among the pros.

“I thought: I’ll just ride along for fun,” he laughed afterwards when we contacted him. “That I ended up taking the title can only be because the level isn’t super high in Germany at the moment. I had no idea beforehand how good I’d still be after those months off. The race rhythm and intensity just weren’t there, and I hadn’t trained hard either. It was really a race of technique and experience.”

Meisen claimed it was a one-time return and certainly not a true or permanent 'comeback'. “The German federation did ask me to race the Cyclo-cross World Championships, which is always special. Especially in the unique atmosphere we’ll have in Hulst. But I’m not prepared to race against the international stars. So for now, we won’t see the German jersey in the field anymore,” he said.

Uncertainty about participation
But look: Meisen, just like Fabian Eder, is still part of the two-man elite selection that the German federation has entered for the World Championships in Hulst. How does that work exactly?

“I just saw that I’m on the list,” Meisen laughs when we ask him that question. “Normally, I won’t start. But being in the selection is making me think now. Maybe I should just start for fun?”