York Cycleworks rider Alastair Kay scored his team's first win of the year with victory in the fourth stage of the 500-mile eight-day Tour of Saudi Arabia.

Having ridden well in the Giro del Capo then placed seventh in the prestigious Cape Argus Cycle Tour in South Africa a week earlier, Kay had good form going into the race.

The opening 6.5km time trial was won by Czech Lubor Tezar, a former World Championship silver medallist, at an average speed of 42mph.

The Tour had moved away from the capital Riyadh for the first time to Abha, a city perched 7,000 feet up above the Red Sea, and the opening stages were fast and furious, though western riders riders struggled with the thin, high altitude air.

It was the 90-mile stage four with its 4,000-foot, 20-mile climb to the finish where Kay came into his element, attacking with 15 miles to go to leave the 90-rider field in his wake.

Kay was joined five miles from the finish by the Egyptian team leader, a professional with the Italian Denardi team.

The pair worked well together, riding through several tunnels before the final steep two miles where Kay outsprinted the Egyptian to take his first win in a UCI international race.

Kay, the leader of the Scottish national team, went on to place in the top ten on three further stages, the toughest of which climbed to a brutal 10,000 feet and the highest point in the kingdom at As Soudah.

A strong Iranian team took control and closed the race down for yellow jersey Mizibani Ghader, with Kay having to settle for a final eighth overall.

Kay will come back to British racing for a few weeks on his return and will be among the favourites to win the four-day Tour of the Border at Easter.

With Kay and team-mate Jonathan Muir having won the king of the mountains and the overall prizes in recent years they are likely to make a strong impression.

Updated: 12:57 Thursday, April 12, 2001