Under-23 World Champion, but could Zoe Bäckstedt have beat Reusser? - "Hopefully next time I can try out for the elites"

This Monday opened up with the women's under-23 time-trial race and the victor was far from being contested. The very difficult course in Kigali has seen thus far three convincing winners with very large gaps, and this time around it was Zoe Bäckstedt's opportunity to conquer another gold medal, after having conquered the junior world title in the discipline back in both 2022 and 2023.

Although it does not mean the Briton would win in the elite ranks - it can't be said because the distance was different, and the route slightly shorter - Bäckstedt averaged 43.8Km/h in today's effort whilst elite winner Marlen Reusser rode 43.3Km/h this Sunday and second place rider Anna van der Breggen rode at 42.5Km/h. The 20-year old's performance was staggering and miles above her peers, with second place Viktória Chladonová coming in 1:50 minutes slower in a 30-minute race.

"Hearing that I was up at the first time check, only by 16 seconds, I thought 'ok it's possible to lose that on the last climb.' But I just kept pushing as hard as I could on the section in between," she admitted in a post-race interview, not aware at the time that her gap would be growing significantly in the coming kilometers. The speed the Briton took up the final cobbled climb, leaving the talented Marie Schreiber in a figurative standstill, was a sign of the time that was to be revealed at the finish line.

Bäckstedt's advantage was more than sufficient to cover any mishap in the finale, and with this she has won her first world under-23 world title. "I was of course nervous before the start. I think that's natural in one of these championship events. Those two climbs that we had to do just zapped your legs completely. I have to say, it was quite fun on that downhill going super quick. I’m looking forward to seeing what my maximum speed was in that one". 

With junior and under-23 world titles in her palmarès, what comes next may be one at elite level. "It means a lot. Hopefully next time I can try out for the elites," she concluded.