Aalia Clay won bronze in the junior women’s time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Montréal on Tuesday, adding an international podium to a breakthrough season.
“It means a lot,” Clay said. “It was pretty unexpected to me, and it’s pretty exciting.”
The British rider completed the 10.7km course in 15:42, 24 seconds down from Poland’s Maria Okrucińska’s race-winning time. Belgium’s Yana Decruyenaere earned the silver medal, 12 seconds back. Clay beat Switzerland’s Anja Grossmann to secure the final podium place by just seven hundredths of a second.
Latest Videos FromCycling Weekly
This result follows her victory at the British junior time trial championships in July as well as successes on the road.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
In June, she became the first junior to win the women’s Ronde van Wymeswold overall, before adding top-10 finishes at the junior editions of Druivenkoers–Overijse and Grand Prix de Plouay.
At 17, this is Clay’s first season as a junior. It was also her first World Championship appearance.
With those results and another season in the junior ranks ahead, Clay already has a target for her return to the World Championships.
“Hopefully to continue with this form next year and maybe world champion next year – that would be really cool,” she told the media after the race.
First, though, comes the junior women’s road race in Montréal. On Friday, Clay will line up alongside Scottish national road race champion Melanie Rowe, Zoe Roche, Peggy Knox, and Gabby McHugh, who is the only member of the British junior women’s squad to arrive with previous road world championship experience.
The race will take place at 2:15 PM local time / 7:15 PM BST.
