With five wins, one 2nd and one 3rd place, Marcel was able to collect enough points over the season to not even have to compete at the finals. Instead, he put the finishing touches to his preparation before the German Championships at the UCI World Cup in Zonhoven, Belgium.

With five victories and three more podium finishes, Stefanie Paul secured first place in the overall standings. A 3rd place in the final race was enough for her to take the overall victory ahead of Lisa Heckmann (Müsing - Kurschat Consulting Cyclocross Team).

With six first places and five podium finishes, Masters 3 overall winner Stefan Danowski can look back on a very successful National League season. Stefan had also collected enough points before the last race of the season to bring home the overall victory in Vechta with a 2nd place behind the STEVENS Racing Team's sporting director Jens Schwedler.

Both Marcel and Stefan will be competing as defending champions at the 69th German Championships, which will be held at the Olympic Park in Munich next weekend.

Once again, the riders can expect a demanding and technical course, which has both very fast and also tight and twitchy sections over its 2800 metres. In addition, there are many ascents and descents, running sections and cobblestone sections. Unlike last year's Nationals in Luckenwalde, this year's race is expected to have moderate temperatures on the competition days, however rain could provide an additional challenge.

Hot candidate for victory in the Elite class this year is again Marcel Meisen – not least after his dominant Bundesliga season. Predictions in the U23 class, on the other hand, are rather difficult, many equally strong competitors will not make it easy for the STEVENS riders Niklas Behrens, Markus Eydt, Luca Harter, Louis Kraus, Maximilan Krüger, Silas Kuschla and Fynn Termin. Fynn and Luca in particular, however, are confident of top rankings, as they have been very successful in the current season with second and third place respectively in the overall Bundesliga standings.

In the Elite Women's race, Stefanie Paul will be the main contender, but team-mate Larissa Luttuschka also has a chance.

In Masters 2 the brothers Sebastian and Thomas Hannöver will fight for the title, in the Masters 3 class Jens Schwedler will do his best to take back the jersey of the German champion from his teammate and reigning champion, Stefan Danowski.

On Saturday, the U23 Men and the Elite Women will start, on Sunday the Masters classes. The final race of the weekend will be the Men's Elite race on Sunday afternoon.

The races on Saturday and Sunday will take place at the following times:

Saturday, 14.01.2023
Men U23 - 13:25
Women Elite - 14:40 hrs

Sunday, 15.01.2023
Masters 3 - 10:20 hrs
Masters 2 - 13:05 hrs
Men Elite - 14:30 hrs