2024 World Cross-Country Championships: German champions Brandau and Meisen lead the BDR line-up in Tabor

A place in the top 10 would be a huge success for the two former champions. Brandau, 38 years old, who returned to competitive racing in December after a year and a half break to have a baby, achieved her best result of the season in the major race series when she made her comeback at the World Cup in Val di Sole, Italy, finishing eleventh. At the Azencross in Loenhout, Belgium, she finished in 7th place against good competition two days before New Year's Eve.

>> The 2024 World Cross-Country Championships in Tabor: route, schedule, favourites

An eleventh place at the Superprestige in Diegem shortly after Christmas was also the top result on international terrain for the 35-year-old Meisen. He finished on the podium at smaller events and also won a C2 race in France. While he is alone in the elite men's field, Brandau can count on a second German in the starting field, Judith Krahl. The 22-year-old, runner-up in the German Championships, has been somewhat more consistent than Brandau this season. She finished eleventh at the X2O race in Melden and the Superprestige in Heusden-Zolder (both in Belgium).

Broad-based male offspring

The German line-up in the junior men's field is much broader. German U23 champion Hannes Degenkolb could have up to six team-mates at the start. Junior champion Benedikt Benz could count on up to four team-mates. In both classes, there is a final performance test after the last World Cup before the World Championships in Hoogerheide, which five candidates still have to master.

Kaija Budde, German junior champion, is an individual competitor. In the U23 category, the BDR is not sending any female riders to Tabor. As in the men's field, no absolute top placings are to be expected. The competitions will be held from 2 to 4 February.

Cross World Championships: The BDR line-up at a glance

Elite men

• Marcel Meisen

Elite women

• Elisabeth Brandau
• Judith Krahl

U23 Men

• Hannes Degenkolb
• Eike Behrens *
• Luca Harter*
• Fabian Eder
• Silas Koech
• Jonas Köpsel *
• Silas Kuschla

Juniors

• Pepe Albrecht
• Benedikt Benz
• Finley Börner *
• Max Heiner Oertzen
• Anton Kochanowski*

Juniors

• Kaija Budde