Kaia Schmid kicks off 2021 Junior Track World Championships with Fourth in Scratch Race

September 1, 2021

The Boston native rides to fourth in the Scratch Race in Cairo, Egypt.

CAIRO – Kaia Schmid (Marblehead, Mass.; LUX/Sideshow p/b Specialized) kicked off the 2021 UCI Junior Track World Championships for Team USA with a bang, placing fourth in the Junior Women’s Scratch Race. This is the 18-year-olds first world championship and is a solid start to the event for her. Schmid will race four more events this week in Cairo.

Looking forward to Schmid’s future events, USA Cycling Coach Joanne Keisanowski said, “This race gives Kaia a lot of confidence going into the next races. She looked very strong out on the track and rode in a solid position the entire race.

Schmid started with a heat of the scratch race, which determined the racers that would make it in the final. She was dominant in the event and placed second behind Russian rider Valeria Valgonen, who lapped the field. In the final, Schmid rode defensively, covering any attacks and making the bunch stay together. Jette Simon (GER) attacked with about 1.5 kilometers in the race. There were complications with the final sprint, but Simon stayed out front to claim the first rainbow jersey of the championship.

Results

1. Jette Simon (GER)
2. Marith Vanhove (BEL)
3. Valentina Basilico (ITA)
4. Kaia Schmid (USA)

Up Next

On Thursday, Schmid takes on the Elimination Race, Mia Deye (Geigertown, Pa.; Star Track Racing) starts the Women’s Sprint tournament, and Finn Koller (Bethlehem, Pa.; Sprinter’s Edge) races the Men’s Keirin, and Dakota Stein (Orwigsburg, Pa.; Sprinter’s Edge) tries his hand at the Scratch Race.

Full Results

How to Watch

Visit USACycling.org for more information on the athletes, events, and membership programs, and follow @USACycling across all channels for the latest on Team USA.

For more information, contact Angelina Palermo at apalermo@usacycling.org.

ABOUT USA CYCLING (usacycling.org)

USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX. USA Cycling’s mission is to champion accessibility, participation, and excellence in the sport of cycling to make more Americans healthier, happier, and better on two wheels while achieving sustained international racing success. USA Cycling supports cyclists at all levels, from those just beginning in the sport and participating in fun rides to international caliber racers. The organization identifies, develops, and selects cyclists to represent the United States in international competition through the support of kids’ and interscholastic programs, amateur bike racing and grassroots development programs, and the provision of critical infrastructure to run organized racing. USA Cycling has a membership of 100,000, annually sanctions over 2,500 events, and is a proud member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).