Long solo attack "was not my plan" but Zoe Bäckstedt flies into another junior World Title with no tactics
Cycling
As was the case in the time-trial, Zoe Bäckstedt was the overwhelming favourite to take the world title in the road race at the World Championships. She confirmed that status with a dominant win, however under unexpected circumstances.
"It was not my plan to ride off alone so early. I wanted to wait until the penultimate lap, but I felt good in the descent and decided to attack," the Briton said in a post-race interview. Despite the short 67-kilometer distance, Bäckstedt attacked with just 10 kilometers of racing, and quickly built up a good lead despite the chase of her competitors.
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It reached over two minutes, however her effort started to pay towards the end of the race. "In the final lap my lead started to shrink, which made me panic. My coach in the team car said that my lead was big enough and that I had to stay calm," she described. The change was barely noticeable however as she reached the finish over two minutes ahead of the competition, riding one level above the rest of the field.
"There were a lot of people on the side of the road calling my name, on the climb I really needed that," she described. "I was very emotional at 1 kilometer from the finish. A second world title in a row and that on my birthday is very special." Now, Bäckstedt is set to go into the Elite field directly, as she will be representing EF Education-TIBCO-SVB in the coming season.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
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💐 UCI Women Junior Road Race 💐 GOLD: Zoe Backstedt 🇬🇧 SILVER: Eglantine Rayer 🇫🇷 BRONZE: Nienke Vinke 🇳🇱 #Wollongong2022
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