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November 14, Junior men:

Eckmann continues winning streak

By:
Laura Weislo
Published:
November 14, 2010, 19:58,
Updated:
November 15, 2010, 16:02

Bahnson runner-up again, Fox slips into third

Yannick Eckmann doubles up.

Yannick Eckmann doubles up.

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The name at the top of the results sheet of the USGP New Belgium Cup's second round was the same as every other USGP round this year, Yannick Eckmann. The German sped into the lead from the gun, but unlike the previous day when he led from start to finish, he had to put in a lap-long chase to overcome a dropped chain that pushed him back mid-field not long after the start.

"I got the hole shot, but at the run up the chain fell off and I tried to shift it back up and it didn't work, so I had to stop and put it back on. It happened before, so I knew what to do this time, and I didn't lose that much time," Eckmann said.

"I didn't panic, I just kept cool and tried to work my way back up."

Jeffrey Bahnson, yesterday's runner-up, capitalized on the mistake to take the lead, but by the end of the opening lap, Eckmann had clawed his way through the field and was just seconds behind, taking advantage of the much faster and less technical conditions than the mud which Bahnson prefers.

"I took [the dropped chain] as an opportunity to attack and make him work a little harder so maybe later in the race he would have a bit less energy," Bahnson said. "But I knew he'd catch back up."

Mid-way through the second lap, that prediction came true, and with both together it was once agagin Eckmann who proved more powerful. The Hot Tubes rider distanced Bahnson for good with two laps to go. From there, it was a mere formality for the lanky 17-year-old.

The race for third place was a one-man show, with Bjorn Fox putting the Clif Bar development team into the bronze medal position for the second day in a row, following up on teammate Zane Godby's performance yesteray.

"It was a faster course today, which I prefer. I could keep the pace up, they got a gap on me, but I just kept it hard and tried to hold off everybody else," Fox said.

"It's good - it feels better. I feel like it's where I should have been yesterday."

Behind him, Cypress Gorry put in an impressive ride to move up from a second row start to finish just seconds from the podium. "I felt good and was able to move up throughout the race," Gorry said. "I could see [Fox] up there, but I just didn't have enough left to close the gap."

Full Results
1 Yannick Eckmann (Ger) Hot Tube Devo Team 0:40:34  
2 Jeffrey Bahnson (USA) Van Dessel Factory Team 0:00:49  
3 Björn Fox (USA) Clif Bar Development Cyclo-Cross 0:01:57  
4 Cypress Gorry (USA) Four Unity 0:02:15  
5 Andrew Dillman (USA) Red Zone Cycling 0:02:22  
6 Gunnar Bergey (USA) C3 Athletes Serving Athletes 0:03:38  
7 Kolben Preble (USA) Clif Bar Development Cyclocross 0:03:51  
8 Tyler Coplea (USA) Oakley / Squirt Lube / AZ Devo 0:04:22  
9 Jeremiah Dyer (USA) Champion-Systems/Cannondale 0:05:17  
10 Luke Haley (USA) Red Zone Cycling 0:06:28  
11 Zach Semian (USA) Team Alliance Environmental 0:08:52  
DNS Jeff Perrin (USA) Rmcef-Westside    
DNF Zane Godby (USA)    
Junior men US Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross standings after six rounds
1 Yannick Eckmann (Ger) Hot Tubes Development Cycling 300 pts
2 Jeffrey Bahnson (USA) Van Dessel Factory Team 160  
3 Luke Haley (USA) Red Zone Cycling 154  
4 Bjorn Fox (USA) Clif Bar Development Cyclo-Cross 124  
5 Andrew Dillman (USA) Red Zone Cycling 124  
6 Gunnar Bergey (USA) C3 Athletes Serving Athletes 96  
7 Mitchell Bogardus (USA) 64  
8 Cypress Gorry (USA) Four Unity 53  
9 Sam O' Keefe (USA) C3 - Athletes Serving Athletes 53  
10 Gage Rodriguez (USA) EXPO Racing 49  
11 Christopher Osborne (USA) Nova Cycle Sports Foundation In 43  
12 Kolby Preble (USA) Clif Bar Development Cyclocross 37  
13 Zane Godby (USA) 34  
14 Matthew Phillips (USA) Haymarket/SEAVS 34  
15 Luke Woodard (USA) 34  
16 Tyler Coplea (USA) Oakley / Squirt Lube / AZ Devo 29  
17 Samuel Dobrozsi (USA) QCW Lionhearts 29  
18 Cameron Rex (USA) SKC Racing 29  
19 Jeremiah Dyer (USA) 28  
20 Nathan Labecki (USA) 26  
21 Zachary Semian (USA) Team Alliance Environmental 18  
22 Julian Meier (USA) Cyfac-Champion System p/b Revolution Wheelworks 10  
23 Jeffrey Perrin (USA) Rmcef-Westside 9