Behind the athlete
Born to cyclist parents – one of whom is a famous Paris-Roubaix winner – and with an older sister who races in the WorldTour, it’s fair to say that Zoe Bäckstedt is both blessed and cursed by her family’s cycling background.
She might be naturally gifted, but there is a certain pressure of expectation foisted upon the young Brit’s shoulders. Nonetheless, the teenager has taken to top level bike racing like a (very fast) duck to water.
As a junior, she dominated on both the road and in cyclocross, with three world championship gold medals between the two disciplines. She then won the cyclocross U23 world title in 2024, and has stepped up to the WorldTour on the road with CANYON//SRAM Racing (under the tutelage of her father Magnus, who is lead sports director), almost winning a first pro race already at the Antwerp Port Epic in May.
With progression as fast as this, it’s hard to pin Zoe down on the exact type of a road rider she is, or what she might become:
“I’d say I’m probably a classics-type rider. I’m good on short, sharp climbs. Something that’s 30 seconds to one minute max. I’m quite punchy, I guess from my cyclocross background. I have quite a lot of skill when it comes to cornering or riding in small gaps and navigating the bunch, and I have a good kick on me.”
With attributes like those, we’re looking forward to seeing where the road will take her.