Jens Dekker (Netherlands) is the new UCI Cyclo-cross World champion in the Junior Men’s category. The cousin of famous former road cyclist Erik Dekker simply outclassed his rivals at the 2016 World Championships as rain and wind buffeted Heusden-Zolder. France placed two riders on the podium, as Mickael Crispin and Thomas Bonnet were second and third.
The newly-crowned world champion Dekker had already won the World Cup, and he made things look easy at the former Formula 1 racing circuit. “It was a really hard race for me. I didn’t have my best day of the year. That was last week [at the World Cup round in Hoogerheide]. It was great from the beginning. I went full gas,” Dekker said afterwards.
After a blistering fast tailwind start, three French riders were leading out the field during the first half of the opening lap. Tanguy Turgis managed the hole shot and led ahead of compatriots Bonnet and Crispin. Seppe Rombouts (Belgium) and a patient Jens Dekker were sitting just behind the French trio, together with Thijs Wolsink (Netherlands), Jakob Dorigoni (Italy), Mitch Groot (Italy), Jappe Jaspers (Belgium) and Kevin Kuhn (Switzerland).
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American riders Gage Hecht and Spencer Petrov were unable to build on their front-row start position, riding just outside the top 10 where there was a fierce battle for positions going on. Inevitably, riders tangled and suddenly only eleven riders were left in front.
Halfway through the opening lap, Dekker seized his moment and he moved to the front of the group, just before the major technical obstacles on the World Championships course. He tackled the off-camber section flawlessly with Crispin on his wheel. Bonnet had more trouble keeping up. At the following steep descent, the mud and nerves cost a few riders their spot in the front group. Kuhn and Groot tangled and went down together, with Rombouts landing in the mud as well.
Crispin was first at the steep run-up but on the following climbing section Dekker gained much more track and he blasted away from the French rider. From there Dekker kept riding away from Crispin. In the battle for third place Bonnet, Dorigoni and Jaspers were together after the opening lap. Dorigoni got dropped first and then also Jaspers faded.
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