A tough and muddy course provided a true test for round-two Trophy winners Kay and Michels
Round two of the National Trophy Series cyclo-cross in North Yorkshire was the perfect test for riders preparing to challenge on the Continent.
Anna Kay took her fourth win of the season on British soil ahead of a season racing in Europe. Kay, 24, opened her European season last weekend when she finished ninth on a hot and dusty Bergen course in Belgium, and Yorkshire provided a stark contrast with mud and cold temperatures.
Riding for the Cyclocross Reds team, Kay said that the course had a Belgium feel like a “mini Overijse”. However, Kay didn’t have everything her own way and was kept at arm’s length by teenager Elena Day who finished 28 seconds behind. Alderney Baker completed the top three, beating 18-year-old Hope Inglis for the final podium spot.
“It was such a hard course, you’re either descending, pushing up hills or running in the mud,” said Kay. “It was good preparation for what’s to come. I wanted to ride my own race and go off from the start and get out of trouble.
“Halfway through there was a gap and I just tried to keep it steady. I tried to manage it and focus on my legs rather than what was behind me.
“I started my season last weekend in Belgium and I’ll finish in February I guess, so it’s quite a long season.”
Promising Belgian Jente Michels stole the show in the men’s event, riding away from British national champion Thomas Mein and finishing over a minute clear.
Michels will provide assistance for his Alpecin-Deceuninck team-mate Mathieu van der Poel later this winter and showed his early season form in the men’s event.
The Belgian was quickly joined by Mein at the head of proceedings before pulling out a slender gap as the British champion swapped bikes in the pit area. The Hope Factory Racing rider threw everything at closing the gap but Michels took a clear win with Mein in second and Daniel Barnes in third.
“I wanted to see how these boys would ride as it’s my first time in England,” said Michels. “It was really hard in the beginning because the course had changed from when I did the practice. “Once I found my rhythm I could go full-gas and open my gap lap by lap.”
Michels and Kay travelled to Ireland the follow
