January 27, 2007 (Hooglede-Gits, Belgium) – American Daniel Summerhill(Centennial, Colo./TIAA CREF-Clif Bar) became the first U.S. athlete to medal at a UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships since 2000 with a silver medal in Saturday’s junior men’s event. Summerhill placed second in a four-man sprint to Belgian Joeri Adams to give the U.S. its first medal since Walker Ferguson won silver in the junior men’s division seven years ago.

The race began with Italian Alessandro Calderan creating an early gap. It was Summerhill who initiated the chase that bridged up to the quick starter, and by the end of the first lap the American, along with six other riders, had caught the Italian.

Despite several attacks in lap two, Summerhill, Adams, Jiri Polnicky (CZE), Ole Quast (GER), and Ramon Sinkeldam (NED) dominated at the front of the race throughout laps two and three.

It was looking to be a good day for Summerhill until a crash on a steep descent in lap three set him back from the other leaders.

“I crashed when my wheel washed out, like was happening to a lot of people,” explained Summerhill. “I didn’t think that I would be coming back. I hit a post pretty hard, knocked my helmet off and bent my bars. I figured that was it, but I just got myself up, straightened my bars and got going.”

When the Colorado rider fell off pace, he met up with Arnaud Jouffroy (FRA) who had been dropped from the lead group in lap two. Not giving up however, Summerhill and Jouffroy worked together to bridge back up to the leaders. The Frenchman was dropped again, and the same five riders who dominated most of the race went into the final lap together.

The pace was fast in the final lap as four riders remained together until a sprint finish that saw Adams overtake his opponents to become the new junior world champion. After Summerhill claimed silver, Polnicky closed out the medal spots with the bronze.

“It was interesting…maybe there could have been a different result without the crash,” Summerhill explained. “If definitely took a lot out of me because I banged my leg pretty good. But to get a medal at the world’s is good. I’m happy to prove that America can do something here. I didn’t think I could even make it to the sprint finish after my crash, so I’ve got to be happy with a medal.”

Also contested today was the U23 men’s contest, which saw Dutchman Lars Boom beat out Belgian Niels Albert for the world title in a race that offered little action. U.S. team members Jamey Driscoll (Jericho, Vt./FiordiFrutta) and Daniel Neyens (Seattle, Wash./Hagens-Berman LLP) crashed in the beginning stages, putting a damper on the American team’s hopes. Driscoll was the top American finisher on the day in 36th.

The UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships continue Sunday with the elite men’s and elite women’s divisions.

Junior Men

1. Joeri Adams (Belgium)
2. Daniel Summerhill (Centennial, Colo.)
3. Jiri Polnicky (Czech)
29. Nick Keough (Sandwich, Mass.)
33. Carson Miller (Bend, Ore.)
44. Jerome Townsend (Princeton, Mass.)
49. Sean Worsech (Kirkland, Wash.)

U23 Men

1. Lars Boom (NED)
2. Niels Albert (BEL)
3. Romain Villa (FRA)
36. Jamey Driscoll (Jericho, Vt.)
39. Chance Noble (Camarillo, Calif.)
46. Daniel Neyens (Seattle, Wash.)
47. Charles Marzot (Falmouth, Mass.)