Zolder World Cup Race Report – Gage Hecht

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Gage Hecht 2017 Zolder World Cup. Photo by Mirte Klerkx-fotografie
Gage Hecht 2017 Zolder World Cup. Photo by Mirte Klerkx Photography

Zolder World Cup - 2017

The World Cup in Zolder today marks the final race of this trip. It’s hard to believe that it has been almost two weeks since we landed on Belgian soil. It was a great day to end the trip on.

Zolder is a very diverse course. It takes place on an historic race track and has hosted many World Cups along with a World Championship a few years ago. The start/finish area is located on the final straight of the track making it one of the longest finishing straights on the UCI Circuit. The soil there does not tend to hold on to moisture, so the conditions seem to almost always remain fairly fast with a few large puddles and sections with damp sandy soil. Because of the high-speed characteristic, I love racing here.

Since there can be some separations the first lap, it is important to stay clean and near the front. I knew this going into the race, and made it a goal of mine to stay as far forward as possible in order to stay on the good of any split that may open. I was very happy with how that lap turned out. I was third in the whole shot and stayed within the top ten for most of the lap. Coming through the finish after the first lap, I was just a few seconds behind the leading group.

During this race, I was able to find a group that was just at the limit of my ability. I knew this when I began to make many mistakes in sections I knew I could handle due to my proximity to the "red-line".

Meeting the final lap, I made a few mistakes that cost me a few places. I was still able to cross the finish line very happy with 14th place. I knew that I had accomplished the goal I had travelled over here to achieve and that I had learned a lot from the experiences I had.

Thanks once again to all of you for helping me make this trip. It has been a huge step in my growth as a cyclist and will help me continue to grow in the coming years!

 Cheers,
Gage

Namur World Cup Race Report – Gage Hecht

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Gage Hecht hopping barriers at the Namur World Cup. Photo Credits to Sport.be
Gage Hecht racing in the mud at Namur World Cup. Photo Credits to Sport.be

Namur World Cup - 2017

Yesterday was the first race of the block. Namur World Cup is always one I look forward to. Between the history of the location itself and the amazing roller coaster of a course, this is definitely a favorite of mine.

This year I had the best start I have had at this race. The start can be fairly tricky at Namur. It starts uphill on paver stones and very quickly chicanes before transitioning on to a longer dirt climb ending in a steep ramp that takes the riders to the highest point of the course. This makes the start very important in this race. After having trouble performing well in this start in years past, I was very excited to have a good one.

The rest of the race went fairly smooth. I made a big leap (somewhat literally) as this was the first race I bunny hopped barriers during a competition. I felt fairly clean for many of the other sections with the exception on a crash on the off camber section, where I went under the course netting.

I ended up finishing fifteenth. It was a goal of mine to finish in the top twenty, so this race surpassed that goal substantially. I am really looking forward to progressing throughout the rest of the trip and trying to move up in the group.  

More to come soon!

Cheers,
Gage

Crowds at Namur World Cup. Photo Credits to Sport.be
Gage Hecht mastering the slick corners during Namur World Cup. Photo Credits to Sport.be

Photo Credits to Sport.be

Congrats to Our Cyclocross Worlds Riders

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Ashley Zoerner - 2017 Cyclocross Worlds

Ashley Zoerner

National Champ and Worlds Rider

A man told me today "Racing cross in Europe is like baptism by volcano." Well, congrats @ashley_zoerner on your baptism. An early race collision left Ashley on the verge of tears and barely able to limp around postrace, much less race a bike to her full potential. But, she showed perseverance and got some great experience that will come back in spades.

Gage Hecht - 2017 Cyclocross Worlds

Gage Hecht

Nationals and Worlds CX Racer

Today's U23 race wasn't what dreams are made of for @gchecht, but it did once again prove that this young man is tougher and more driven than most. After crashing at last weekend's World Cup and not being able to finish, Gage had his hand immobilized in a cast with what was later diagnosed as a bone chip and ligament damage. In addition, sickness ran rampant through the team and left few of the guys racing at 100%. Gage managed a relatively clean 26th place, showed some his true colors by making the best of situation, and gained more experience that will one day help him reach his goal of being a World Champion. Kudos Sir! #ontothenextone #howwedo #cantstopwontstop

Check out the great CX Worlds photo gallery over at cyclingtips.com

Cincinnati Race Report – Gage Hecht

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Better late than never. Gage Hecht recaps his first big UCI Under 23 weekend!

I always enjoy the time that I spend competing in bike races, and this weekend was no exception. Because this was my first big UCI weekend with a U23 category in it, I spent the week before imagining what the new racing would be like.

What better way to start a trip like this off, than a road trip? On Thursday we headed across the Great Plains. Road trips are always a good opportunity to bond with teammates. As boring as seventeen hours in a car may sound, its pretty fun with this group.

After our arrival into Cincinnati, we were able to go to each course and get familiar with the features they presented. These are the days that you go out and hit one section hundreds of times until you know that you have found the line that will be the fastest. For me, it’s one of my favorite parts of racing outside of the competition itself.

After a lap or two around the Devou Park course, I realized that because of the combination of speed and extremely technical sections, the Pan-American Championships would ultimately play out to be an elimination race. A group would form and throughout the race, riders would make mistakes and be dropped from that group. Knowing this, I set a goal to stay within the top three riders with the hopes of making the podium.

The day of the race hit and the excitement had built up. We arrived at the venue early so we could watch Katie race. After a day of watching others race, it was finally my turn.

I made it through the first lap unscathed, but I continually came close to others falls. After a few laps, the race had come down to Curtis White, Spencer Petrov, and I. The remainder of the race consisted of constant attacking. By the time three laps appeared on the lap counter, I was doing all I could to hang on to the group During the final lap, Curtis left Spencer and I. It came down to a sprint, and I was barely able to pull around Spencer at the end. I was so proud be able to stand on the podium of the U23 Pan-Ams.

On Sunday, Brannan and I woke up and rode to the course. It was nice to be in a house only miles away from the course. During Katie’s race, Brannan and I cheered from the enchanted forest. While there we got to observe how the different routes behaved. Later on in the day, Ashley, Brannan, and I hit the course for the last time together. We all agreed that the race would be very fast.

I ended up having a slow first lap. A combination of bad luck with accidents and mechanicals due to hitting the ground. After finally getting rolling, I began to find my way through the riders. I eventually made it into seventh place. This stands as one of my best finishes in an Elite UCI C1.

Looking back on things, I am very satisfied with the way all the racing turned out. The points and experience I gained will pay off throughout the season and my career. I cannot wait for the next trip with the Alpha Bicycle Co./ Vista Subaru!