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Anna Flynn (Spectra Racing) soloed to a commanding victory in the elite women's race at the British Cyclo-cross National Championships, mastering the unpleasant conditions in South Shields to lead for most of the race.
Defending champion Xan Crees (OGT p/b USE) claimed silver after a battle for the runner-up spot, with Grace Inglis (Team HUP) taking bronze.
The under-23 title went to Elena Day (Spectra Racing), marking a good day for the British squad.
It was wet and windy in South Shields on the northeastern coast on Sunday, meaning that although the course wasn't too technical, it was a challenging day in the women's race at Cyclo-cross Nationals.
Flynn led the race from early on, initially with Zoe Roche and then on her own, and despite a spirited chase – particularly from Crees – she held on to take the victory, her first elite title.
"I'm still in a bit of shock," she said at the finish. "It went really well I think, I got away on the first lap, and then from there, once I had a gap, just tried to focus on riding the technical sections really well. I just stayed focused and managed to stay away, I'm really, really happy.
"I quite like riding at the front so I can choose my own lines. The technical stuff is probably my strength, so I was quite happy on the front. I was a bit worried on some of the windy straights that if [Roche] was behind me, she'd be sitting on a bit, but once I got away, I just focused on riding my own race."
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Flynn tackling one of the harder parts of the course (Image credit: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)
Matilda is an NCTJ-qualified journalist based in the UK who joined Cyclingnews in March 2025. Prior to that, she worked as the Racing News Editor at GCN, and extensively as a freelancer contributing to Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Velo, Rouleur, Escape Collective, Red Bull and more. She has reported from many of the biggest events on the calendar, including the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France Femmes, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. She has particular experience and expertise in women's cycling, and women's sport in general. She is a graduate of modern languages and sports journalism.
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