"The only thing you can do now is rest": Zoe Bäckstedt hopes to keep her great legs for Cyclocross World Championships

Zoe Bäckstedt's return to cyclocross delayed because of a wrist injury until the end of calendar year, however the 21-year-old Brit quickly blended with the best riders in the peloton. Just in time for the World Championships in Hulst. After two years of dominance in the under-23 category, there will be no more hiding as Bäckstedt lines up against the biggest stars of elite category this weekend.

Her growth during January was remarkable - Bäckstedt started the winter with a 27th place in Dendermonde at the end of December. But the very next week, she already netted her first World Cup top-10 in Zonhoven. Two weeks later, she doubled down with another 10th place in Benidorm, before living her best weekend of this winter so far in Maasmechelen (8th) and especially in Hoogerheide where she came agonizingly close to the podium.

"I'm feeling super positive about this last double weekend of racing. I had a hard training camp with the team, so didn't know what to expect, but it seems like those big days worked out well!" Bäckstedt expressed her excitement in a team press release.

The race in Hoogerheide saw Bäckstedt finish just a single second behind third place Amandine Fouquenet. Of the race, she said she "can finally be happy with this ride" despite the far from ideal run-in towards the biggest race of this winter.

The Brit has a rare opportunity to complete a unique hat-trick of winning all; junior, under-23 and elite cyclocross World Championships. Although Bäckstedt seems already excited enough just to compare herself against Lucinda Brand, Puck Pieterse and Ceylin Alvarado at the grand stage:

"I'm excited for my first elite Worlds. It's going to be a challenge and a completely different type of race to what I'm used to, but that's half the fun," she said. "I don't really have expectations in terms of results – it's more about carrying the good legs from this weekend across."

And how does one of the medal contenders prepare for the main event of cyclocross season? "The week leading into worlds is just a lot of resting – a lot of time on the couch, and that's about it! For sure, there'll be a few days with some last intervals to get fully ready, but for now, all the hard work is done, so the only other thing you can do is rest!"