In the second lap of Sunday’s Elite Men’s race at Lakewood Nationals, Gage Hecht (Donnelly / Aevolo) and Kerry Werner (Kona Maxxis Shimano) were off the front with Stephen Hyde (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld) and Curtis White (Cannondale p/b CyclocrossWorld) chasing.
Sunday’s course featured a UCI-only section at the end of the lap that included a run-up and drop back down a two-tiered off-camber.
On that descent, the key moment of the Elite Men’s race occurred.
Hecht got caught in a rut and went careening into the course tape. A tape support pole snapped. As he returned to the course, the tape tangled up in his bike.
Gage Hecht and Kerry Werner get caught in the course tape on lap two at the 2019 Cyclocross Nationals. Photographer Mike Albright captured the sequence. © Mike Albright
Werner was right behind Hecht, and he hit the strung-out tape behind Hecht. The tape sent his front wheel sideways, and he flipped off his bike.
Gage Hecht and Kerry Werner get caught in the course tape on lap two at the 2019 Cyclocross Nationals. Photographer Mike Albright captured the sequence. © Mike Albright
With Werner on the ground, Hecht got a gap he would go on to hold and win the Elite Men’s National Championship.
Gage Hecht and Kerry Werner get caught in the course tape on lap two at the 2019 Cyclocross Nationals. Photographer Mike Albright captured the sequence. © Mike Albright
You can watch the moment in the video below captured by NorCal’s Enzo Saponjnikoff.
Photographer Mike Albright captured the sequence from up above in still photography, compiled into an animated GIF that could take a bit to load:
Gage Hecht and Kerry Werner get caught in the course tape on lap two at the 2019 Cyclocross Nationals. Photographer Mike Albright captured the sequence. © Mike Albright
Another look at the incident is available from a bit farther away.
