Kay gets on her bike to take on the world
CYCLOCROSS star Anna Kay has been left feeling almost on top of the world after a storming start to her 2019 campaign, writes TONY HODGSON.
The 19-year-old from Gateshead put in an impressive performance at the UCI World Championships in Bogense, Denmark.
She was placed fifth in the women’s under-23 event. - her best-ever finish at the competition.
That success built on Kay claiming the Under-23 Women’s HSBC UK National Championship title (coming in second elite overall) and then representing her country at Hoogerheide in the Netherlands.
Kay is the youngest member of Storey Racing, a team led by multi gold-medal winning cyclist Dame Sarah Storey.
The teenager is into her second year of fulltime cycling, contesting road races in the summer and cyclocross in the winter.
Starting strongly at the Worlds, Kay managed to stay in contention over the first three laps in a large group of riders.
It was not until the final stages the race started to split up, Kay still managing to retain her position to the leading group.
A Dutch trio of Alvarado, Nagengast and Van Der Heijden broke away with half a lap to go, the latter taking the win on the line.
Kay was left with two riders in the chasing group and left to sprint to the line for fourth position, which went to Italy’s Persico almost overhauling Alvarado in third only one second ahead of Kay in fifth on the line.
Kay said: “It was a bit like a road race, it kept on stringing out and then coming back together.
“I think on some of the straights I would lose it but you could always catch up on the long finishing straight, so it went really well.
“I am so pleased. I wanted top five or top 10, so to be fifth - I am over the moon with that.”
Kay competed at Road World Tour level last summer in the Tour de Yorkshire - taking an impressive top-25 General Classification placing in a world-class elite field riding as an under-23 woman.
In November she moved to Belgium-based Cyclocross team Experza Footlogix.
This is a women-specific cyclocross team and Kay spent a full winter racing in Europe for her trade team and also representing her country at several World Cup races.
With very little financial support for women’s cycling available, she has worked part-time and Crowdfunded to take part in European racing in the last year.
However, the generosity of the North East cycling community and her part-time employer Leathers Accountants in Newcastle allowed the rider to spend the winter in Belgium.
Kay, though, is not the only North Easy cyclocross rider in fine form.
Derwentside’s Thomas Mien is enjoying his most successful season to date with notable results while representing Team GB.
He was fifth at the European Championshps, ninth at the World Championships in Denmark and recorded several top-10 finishes at World Cup level.
In 2016 Mien won the Junior Koppenbergcross, one of the most prestigious races in Belgium.
He also represented Team GB on numerous occasions - including the European and World Championships.
Mien finished 2017 with a top 10 in Belgium and a fourth at the National Championships at Hetton.
Prior to returning to Belgium in October, Mien travelled to China to compete in two elite races in which he finished fourth and ninth.
In November he signed with Belgian UCI pro continental team Tarteletto-Isorex