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Gage Hecht continues to be dominant at the National Championships, winning the 15-16 title in his first attempt. © Meg McMahon

Gage Hecht, winning the National Championships, 15-16 title in his first attempt, now has a European win to his name. © Meg McMahon

Americans have a hard time with Koksijde, they said. The deep sand and brutal conditions are unlike anything in the United States, they said.

Looks like the sixteen-year-old American Gage Hecht was able to defy these detractors by taking the win this morning in the Koksijde Junior Race over Belgian favorites Gilles Borra,  Alessio Dhoore and Stefano Museeuw.

Fresh off his victory at the Pan American championships, the young American racked up great results earlier this season. His impressive year includes taking a first and second in the two days of the Junior Races at the KMC Cyclo-Cross Festival, and taking another win at Cincy3 After Dark. Last year, he was the runner up in the Junior 15-16 race at the United States Nationals in Boulder, CO, and won the same race the year prior in Madison, WI.

Other good finishes by Americans in the Junior race include Gavin Haley finishing 111th, Cameron Beard finishing 13th, Spencer Petrov finishing 14th, and Michael Owens finishing 17th.

Koksijde UCI Junior Race, 2014

RankNameUCICodeTime 
1HECHT GageUSA199802180h41?36.0"
2DHOORE AlessioBEL199804230h41?43.0"+7.0"
3MUSEEUW StefanoBEL199706010h41?51.0"+15.0"
4CORDS LudwigGER199711040h42?19.0"+43.0"
5BORRA GillesBEL199807260h42?31.0"+55.0"
6COLMAN AlexBEL199807220h42?38.0"+1?02.0"
7DEVOS HanBEL199709010h42?43.0"+1?07.0"
8ANDREASSEN SimonDEN199703090h42?56.0"+1?20.0"
9BOER EriNED199702100h43?17.0"+1?41.0"
10OVERMEIRE LouisBEL199803070h43?33.0"+1?57.0"
11HALEY GavinUSA199703280h43?46.0"+2?10.0"
12SCHROEDER RaphaelGER199710140h43?47.0"+2?11.0"
13BEARD CameronUSA199808010h43?56.0"+2?20.0"
14PETROV SpencerUSA199809090h44?13.0"+2?37.0"
15SIRUCEK VaclavCZE199810090h44?28.0"+2?52.0"
16GASCOYNE WilliamGBR199803210h45?01.0"+3?25.0"
17OWENS MichaelUSA199812090h45?08.0"+3?32.0"
18REES TomLUX199710100h45?08.0"+3?32.0"
19BIDDLE CameronGBR199801050h46?56.0"+5?20.0"
20GRIVELL-MELLOR EwanGBR199809210h46?56.0"+5?20.0"
21NEAVE AnthonyGBR199705160h48?38.0"+7?02.0"
22MICHIELS YenteBEL199808191 r
23WINDELS AngeloBEL199812123 r
VAN DEN EEDE LauriBEL19980815DNF