Junior standouts Ashlin Barry and Enzo Hincapie claimed the top two podium positions for Team USA at the International Cottbus Junior Stage Race in Germany last week.
Barry won two stages and the GC while Hincapie won the final stage, points competition and youth classification, and finished second overall. All six Team USA riders finished in the GC top 25: Enzo Edmonds in seventh, Caden Freyre 19th, Rowan Child 24th and Ben Juracich 25th.
Enzo Hincapie, the son of retired pro and Tour de France veteran George Hincapie, claimed his first European victory on the final day of racing, winning the 120km stage 4 around Dissen, leading a pack of eight riders across the line. Barry followed in a chasing pack 20 seconds back and had a cushion of 21 seconds that he carried from a dominant performance in the stage 2 individual time trial.
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The two have been teammates on the EF Education-ONTO junior development team. Barry, the son of accomplished pro cyclists Dede and Michael Barry, moved to Visma-Lease a Bike's junior development program JEGG-SKIL-DJR this year, but he still gets to share time on the national team with Hincapie, one year his junior.
"Going into the weekend, I told the riders that I was going to do a lot less planning and instruction, and instead set an overall strategy and allow the riders to work together and communicate during the race. With Roubaix next weekend, my primary objective was team cohesion and communication during Cottbus because Roubaix will be unpredictable and the riders will have to make a lot of in-the-moment decisions that will affect the outcome of the race," Team USA coach Gavin Mannion explained.
"The final stage ended up being a near perfect display of teamwork by everyone and some fantastic legs from Enzo Hincapie. It was a great way to end the weekend."
It was no surprise that Barry won the time trial stage earlier in the race, as he won both the US men's junior time trial and road race national championships last year in the 17-18 age division. Hincapie matched his accomplishment, winning both titles in the 15-16 division.
Prior to joining forces with Barry at Team USA this month, Hincapie was part of the EF Education-ONTO squad for the start to his Belgian block of racing. His trade team coach Rusty Miller said, "until you do it, nothing can truly prepare a rider for the close-quartered combat of narrow Belgian farm roads and 15 sectors of cobbles".
At the Guido Reybrouck Classic, Hincapie finished fifth in the youth classification and then Miller handed Hincapie and Juracich over to Mannion. At the next race, E3 Saxo Classic juniors, the 16-year-old Hincapie had a crucial learning experience.
"Enzo had a lightbulb moment as he figured out how to ride in the front of the bunch, forcing a selection over the Paterberg and being there for Ashlin all day to set up his second place," Miller told Cyclingnews. "They will take a lot of newfound experience and confidence into Paris-Roubaix with USA this coming weekend."
Paris-Roubaix Juniors will take place Sunday on a 110.3km course between Lecelles and Roubaix before the elite men's race.
