interview
At the Cyclocross World Championships in the Netherlands on Sunday (05.02.23) cycling high-flyers Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert will fight for the title. We’re talking about the big duel with the seven-time German cyclocross champion, Marcel Meisen, who will also be starting in Hoogerheide.
sports show: At the weekend you will be at the start of the Cyclocross World Championships in Hoogerheide, where you will meet Mathieu van der Poel from the Netherlands and Wout van Aert from Belgium. The two are extremely successful and are already regarded as talents of the century. How important is this duel for cycling?
Marcel Meisen: “The two have been rivals in cross racing since they were little. Within the cross world, of course, it was known what they could do. But yes, it’s crazy what the two guys do on the street and because they riding the Tour de France, the World Cross Country Championships are of course getting more attention now.”
Both van der Poel and van Aert compete in both road and cross racing. Advantage or overload?
“The bottom line is that the two of them don’t have that many more racing days than a pure road rider. Of course they split it up a bit more, for two or in Mathieu’s case even three disciplines. But certainly, the cross sport is highly intensive. And that comes naturally Road racers also benefit. The road races are long, but are often decided at the very end. Either in the sprint or on the last hill.”
Why are van der Poel and van Aert so much better than everyone else? What distinguishes the two?
“Probably because of their talent. Of course, both of them have enormous ambitions. When you see their duels, it’s clear that both are extremely unhappy when they finish second. Why are they so good? It’s not like the others aren’t training . As a former team-mate of Mathieu, I was often at the training camp. They train in a similar way and it’s hard to say what really matters in the end.”
Marcel Meisen at the German Championships 2022 in Luckenwalde
With a view to the World Championships at the weekend: how do you rate the course in Hoogerheide and who might prefer it?
“The track in Hoogerheide is known from the World Cups. So all drivers know what to expect. Who do I see up front? That’s a good question. Both drivers have their strengths. The weather looks like it will stay dry for the weekend “, that means the track will be fast. It doesn’t have really difficult passages and doesn’t have a very big difference in altitude. That’s why I think it will be a very closed race. Mathieu and Wout may still be close together up to the last few meters before the finish. “
Mathieu van der Poel is said to have great talent, what can his constant rival Wout van Aert claim for himself?
“Above all, Van Aert is mentally very strong. He has often fallen behind in races due to material problems or race circumstances. But you can never write Wout off. He really fights to the last meter and has often managed to fight his way back somehow. He’s very good at championships and super strong in general, especially since he’s been riding the Tour de France he’s still been able to pack a punch. He has had a really strong season again this year. It will definitely be a very exciting race.”
Wout van Aert at the Flandriencross 2023
Cyclocross is super popular in the Netherlands. What will the mood be like along the route?
“I’m really expecting a witch’s cauldron. I think 40,000 tickets have been sold. Due to the proximity to Belgium, there will of course be a lot of Belgians there. And on the other hand, Hoogerheide is also the village where the van der Poel family comes from. So there it is fifty-fifty. I think in the end it has more to do with a gladiator fight than with a bike race. As a spectator it will of course be very interesting. On the television and of course on site even more in terms of the mood.”
How important is winning the title for van Aert and van der Poel at the weekend?
“Both have already said before the season that the world title is their only big goal this cross season. Of course the other races are also important and nice to win. But what counts in the end is being able to wear a World Cup jersey next year. Maybe Mathieu is also looking for revenge. In 2014 he and Wout were both U-23 riders. Mathieu was favorite then but Wout won in Hoogerheide. So Mathieu definitely wants to win and I think it would be a big disappointment for him if he doesn’t.”
Mathieu van der Poel at the World Cup race in Besancon in January 2023
Although Germany has a number of world champions in cyclocross, the sport is largely under the radar, why is that?
“Cycling used to be very popular and then it ebbed away significantly. Maybe a real superstar is missing again, but the low media presence is certainly also a factor. At the last World Cup races in Belgium, however, I noticed that there were more German spectators will be on the routes. That’s nice to see and I think Hoogerheide also has a lot of Germans ticked on the calendar”.
“The second reason is of course also road cycling to a certain extent. If riders are successful in both disciplines, they are often given a choice and then choose the road. Mathieu and Wout are now showing that you can also combine it well. Me I’ve also shown it in the past. Perhaps there will be a rethink in the future.
The Belgians have a completely different mentality. The boys say from an early age: yes, I want to be a cross rider and not necessarily a road rider. At least it’s not like they’re ignoring cross-sport. You can see that now with Wout and Mathieu. They drive the biggest races in the world on the road, win some of them and still don’t want to turn their backs on cross-sport.”
You start for Germany at the weekend. That’s why we want to know at the end: What are your goals for the World Cup?
“I have to be honest, I’ve had a really bad season. I’ve had some form fluctuations due to health problems and it really hasn’t been a good year for me. So I’m going with little expectation. My best World Cup results, top Ten place, which I’ve managed a couple of times, is now a little out of reach, but of course I’ll try to do my best and then I’ll be there to help the younger riders in the national team with my experience. I’ll get the best out of myself, try to end the season well and then try to attack again next year.”