Nationals season continued over the weekend in Hagerstown, Maryland with U23, Junior and Amateur Road Nationals. As usual, several cyclocrossers stood out during the weekend’s racing.
Hecht Doubles Up
Gage Hecht (Aevolo Cycling) came into U23 Nationals as the favorite in the time trial after his fifth-place finish at Pro Nationals last month and one of the favorites in the road race after his second-place finish in 2017.
The 30km time trial course in Maryland proved a Field of Dreams for Hecht as he won the Stars and Stripes jersey by 46 seconds over his nearest competitor.
Hecht’s teammate Alex Hoehn (Aevolo Cycling) won the road race, but Hecht bounced back in Sunday’s criterium to win his second National Championship of the U23 weekend.
Gage Hecht won the time trial and criterium at U23 Nationals in Maryland. 2018 U23/Junior Road Nationals. photo: USAC / Bruce Buckley
Clouse Doubles Up
Last weekend, Katie Clouse (DNA Cycling Team) won the Junior Women’s 17-18 short track mountain bike race and finished second in the cross country race. This past weekend in Maryland, she was at it again on the road.
Clouse won the Junior 17-18 road race and then doubled up in the criterium on Sunday. Unofficially, the two National Championships are the 24th and 25th of her career across cyclocross, road and mountain biking.
Sheffield Takes Junior 15-16 Time Trial Win
Magnus Sheffield showed he is fast on the cyclocross course when he dominated the Junior 15-16 race in Reno in January. Over the weekend, he showed that like Hecht, he can time trial as well. Sheffield won the Junior 15-16 National Championship to take home another Stars-and-Stripes jersey.
Nick Carter (North Star Development), who finished second to Sheffield in Reno, finished eighth.
Magnus Sheffield won the Junior 15-16 time trial. 2018 U23/Junior Road Nationals. photo: USAC / Bruce Buckley
Carter Wins Junior 15-16 Criterium
After Sheffield took top honors in the Junior 15-16 time trial, the criterium was Minnesota’s Nick Carter’s turn to shine. Carter won the Junior 15-16 crit to add another Stars-and-Stripes jersey to his closet to go with the one he won at the 2017 Cyclocross Nationals in Hartford.
U23/Junior Nats Results Round-Up
Cameron Beard (Destil-Parkhotel Valkenburg) finished eighth in the U23 time trial. Katerine Sarkisov (Rock Creek Velo), who won the Women’s Junior 13-14 race in Reno, finished third in the time trial and Keira Bond (Rage Cycling Team), who finished second in Reno, finished fourth.
Lane Maher (Hot Tubes Development) finished second in the Junior 17-18 road race, just missing out on a National Championship. Maxx Chance (303 Project) finished fifth in the U23 road race, and his teammate Eric Brunner (303 Project) took seventh. Their U23 cyclocross rival Cooper Willsey (CCB Foundation – Sicler) took 10th. Jared Scott (LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized) took second in the Junior 15-16 road race, Carter finished fourth and Sheffield took seventh. Sarkisov finished third in the Junior 13-14 road race.
Turner Ramsay (KMS Cycling – Killington Mountain School) finished ninth in the Junior 15-16 criterium. Lucas Stierwalt (Team Hungry) finished ninth. Ross Ellwood finished sixth in the U23 criterium.
Davison/Gagne Win Julbo Eastern Grind
Pro mountain bikers were in Williston, Vermont for the Julbo Eastern Grind mountain bike race. Lea Davison (Clif Pro Team) won the Elite Women’s race, and Rafael Gagne (Silverback OMX Pro Team) won the Elite Men’s race. Stephen Hyde (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld) took fifth.
Thibau Nys Wins Junior Belgian Mountain Bike Nationals
Sven Nys’ son Thibau is already a cycling star at the ripe age of 15. Last week, he took home a Novices Belgian Mountain Bike National Championship. Stay tuned for more from Thibau, because we are likely to hear the name a lot in the coming years.
Toch schoon hé.. de nieuwe generatie ❤️👊🏻💪🏻 Proficiat @thibau_nys4 #BK pic.twitter.com/f5anxTNw19
— Regina (@R_Le_Page) July 22, 2018
