“Some cobbles at the end, why not?” - Zoe Backstedt confident as favourite for under-23 time trial glory
Cycling
Zoe Bäckstedt will line up in Rwanda with her sights set on
the under-23 time trial world championship. The 20-year-old Welsh rider, who
rides for Canyon-SRAM Zondacrypto, has already built an impressive palmarès
this season. A national champion in both cyclocross and the time trial, and
winner of the Baloise Ladies Tour, she enters the event as one of the main
contenders. Her task will be navigating a demanding course shaped by climbs,
altitude, and cobbles.
“That’s the goal,” she said to Cycling Weekly when asked if
she was targeting the victory. “I would really love to be able to do that, but
you never really know what’s going to happen on a course like this, also with
the altitude to think about. I think that’s going to be a big part.”
The 22.6km route is a shortened version of the elite men’s
and women’s course. It takes riders up the Côte de Nyanza climb, 2.4km at 5.5%,
and later the cobbled Côte de Kimihurura, 1.3km at 5.8%, before finishing back
in Kigali. For Bäckstedt, the design offers opportunities as well as
challenges.
“It looks like a fun course, if you ask me, not super
technical,” Bäckstedt said. “It should be a reasonable ratio of distance and
climbing to what Nationals was, so that’s also quite exciting, just without
that really, really, really steep climb that we had to do, thankfully, only one
time.
“I’m excited for it, some cobbles at the end – why not throw
them in? – that’s going to be also fun. I think it’s going to be hopefully easy
to break down. You obviously have the long climb quite early on and then still
pushing on the downhill trying to make up time wherever you can. I would say
it’s quite a nice distance for me as well.”
Her candid assessment reflects both her ambition and her
awareness of the unpredictability of racing in Rwanda’s conditions. At close to
altitude, pacing will be crucial, and the balance between the climb and
technical downhill sections may decide the medal positions.
“It’s a little bit longer and not what I’m used to,” she
said. “I think I’ve got a good shot at the under-23, and I’m still under-23 for
this season, so why would I not try and go for it?
“I hope I’m in peak condition. The last weeks of training
have been good, so we will only find out on the day.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- 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
Loading
Write a comment