Re-Caps and Interviews: White, Gomez-Villafane, Hecht Win Pan-American Championships

Sunday’s Pan-American Championships at Joe Creason Park in Louisville, KY had a full slate of races for Junior, U23 and Elite riders. The afternoon of racing kicked off the with U23 Women and was then followed by the Junior and U23 Men.

With the jersey and title on the line, Junior and U23 talent from across the Americas made the weekend a priority. Fans were treated to an early afternoon look at the future of cyclocross and riders got a rare opportunity to compete against their age group peers.

Emma White Rolls to First U23 Pan-Am Title

After finishing second overall in the US Cup-CX series, Emma White (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com) came into Sunday’s Women’s U23 race as the prohibitive favorite. However, White crashed on Saturday and gashed her knee, meaning the win would not come without overcoming some physical adversity.

With the Continental jersey on the line, White put the minor little detail of nine stitches in her knee behind her and headed to the start line at noon on Sunday.

Emma White and Stu Thorne prep for the first race of the day at the Pan-American Championships. 2017 Pan-American Championships. © D. Perker / Cyclocross Magazine

White wasted little time getting off the front to take control of the race. Once there, she rode a solo effort to the finish to take her first U23 Pan-American Championship.

Emma White celebrates her win. 2017 Pan-American Championships. © D. Perker / Cyclocross Magazine

Clara Honsinger (Team S+M) is a household name in the Cyclocross Crusade series, and after a second at Day 2 of Jingle Cross and now a second at U23 Pan-Ams, one of the Pacific Northwest’s best-kept secrets is quickly becoming a rider to watch.

Honsinger moved into second after the first lap and then slowly closed the gap back to White. Her reward for her trip from Oregon was an impressive second-place finish.

Clara Honsinger had an impressive ride for second on Sunday. Emma White celebrates her win. 2017 Pan-American Championships. © D. Perker / Cyclocross Magazine

Ruby West (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com), wearing her new Canadian National Champion kit, got off to a fast start as well. The young Canadian jumped into the third spot when the riders reached the first climb out of the valley. Chasing here were 16-year old Katie Clouse (Alpha Bicycle – Groove Subaru) and Emma Swartz (Trek Cyclocross Collective).

The thick ground and brutal climbs quickly widened gaps between each of the riders. Clouse moved into a solo third position and Swartz grabbed fourth over West. The gaps remained large the rest of the race and the finishing order of White, Honsinger and Clouse was set.

Full results from all three races are below.

Gomez-Villafane Uses Top Level Finish to Complete Perfect Weekend

Thus far this season, the top two Junior Men riders in the U.S. have been Ben Gomez-Villafane (Top Club Cyclocross) and Lane Maher (Hot Tubes Development). Gomez-Villafane won Day 2 at the KMC Cross Fest and won Saturday’s epic battle against Alex Morton (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com) at the Derby City Cup. Maher won four-straight UCI Junior races, including both days in Cincinnati.

The Junior Men’s race featured the closest racing of the afternoon. A lead selection of seven established by the second climb during lap one, and then after three of five laps, the weekend’s top riders, Gomez-Villafane, Maher, Morton, Tyler Clark (Centurion Next Wave) and Calder Wood (Rad Racing NW) were the group at the front.

The next two laps played out like a war of attrition on a course that, despite some sunshine, was still heavy and filled with climb after climb. Clark and Wood dropped off the pace in the last lap, and when the riders hit climbs two and three, it was Gomez-Villafane, Maher and Morton. It was like the KOM climb at Montana Cross Camp, but this time, the top prize was a Continental Champion’s jersey to go with the bragging rights.

Gomez-Villafane and Maher exploded up the last climb out of the valley and gapped Morton. The race was on. After going under the flyover, Gomez-Villafane roared to life right before the barriers. Benny Hops became Benny Smash with just a few hundred meters to go. Maher did not have a response and victory belonged to the California native.

Two races, two wins and one sweet jersey.

Maher took second and Morton third.

Hecht Escapes Brunner in U23 Men’s Race

If you were looking for a favorite in the U23 Men’s race it probably would have been Gage Hecht (Alpha Bicycle – Groove Subaru). Hecht went toe-to-toe with defending U.S. National Champion Stephen Hyde (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com) last Sunday in Cincinnati, and he finished second again on Saturday in Louisville. Hecht has been on fire, and with his fitness and skills, he had already shown he could handle the tough course at Joe Creason.

The other U23 revelation of the season has been Spencer Petrov (Aspire Racing). Petrov has turned in podium after podium this season and was looking to put on a good show back at home in the Ohio Valley. The stage was set for a great battle.

Then during the holeshot, disaster struck. Petrov’s chain snapped after a few pedal strokes and his afternoon at the front was over. A challenge to Hecht would have to come from someone else.

During the first lap, that someone was Cooper Willsey (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com). Willsey joined Hecht at the front while Maxx Chance (Evol Racing), Denzel Stephenson (Evol Racing), Lance Haidet (Donnelly Sports) and Eric Brunner (Evol Racing). Grant Ellwood (Boulder Cycle Sport) was dangling just off the back of the chase.

Lap two became go time for Hecht. Once up the stairs, Hecht pushed the pace into the second big climb. Willsey kept his wheel and the two moved off the front on the long incline along the bike path. Haidet dangled in a solo third, trying to bridge up to the two green-clad riders. He would not get there and dropped back with a chase contingent that now included Ellwood as well as the others.

Brunner has been having some impressive races as of late, and on Sunday, he was ready to challenge the favorite Hecht. Willsey dropped off the pace and Brunner took his place.  Hecht put in a dig on the last climb of the third lap, but Brunner quickly recovered to hold his wheel. Only time would tell if it was a major effort from Hecht or just him stretching his climbing legs a bit.

Gage Hecht and Eric Brunner lined up next to each other and then had a battle in the race. 2017 Pan-American Championships. © D. Perker / Cyclocross Magazine

It was soon apparent the small move was a signal of what was to come.  The next lap, Hecht took the lead position descending into the valley and quickly signaled it was time to move. In one climb and one off-camber he had a seven-second gap. At the end of three climbs, it was 20 seconds.

Hecht was gone and the jersey was his.

Gage Hecht gets a little sendy en route to winning the 2017 U23 Men’s Pan-American Championship. 2017 Pan-American Championships. © D. Perker / Cyclocross Magazine

Brunner finished second and Willsey out climbed Haidet during the last lap to take third.

Stay tuned for our continuing coverage from the weekend in Louisville. 

2017 Pan-American Cyclocross Championships Results - U23 Women

2017 Pan-American Cyclocross Championships Results - Junior Men

2017 Pan-American Cyclocross Championships Results - U23 Men