Bäckstedt to carry double medal form into Classics
CX fitness bodes well for cobbles campaign
Teenage sensation Zoe Bäckstedt heads into her first pro-level opening weekend of the Classics having added two World Championship cyclo-cross silver medals to her collection.
In her first year competing as an under-23 rider, the 18-year-old clinched a silver individual medal and played a key role in Great Britain’s second place in the mixed team relay.
After winning the junior world title last year Bäckstedt stepped up an age category to battle it out with elite World Cup race winner Shirin van Anrooij. Not deterred by challenging the world number three, the Brit shadowed her Dutch rival before being gradually distanced, but took a clear silver medal.
“I tried to hold on to her wheel for as long as possible,” said a pleased Bäckstedt. “That was the only realistic way of me playing it. I knew that if I went in front of her she would come past me again at some point as she has got that bit more endurance.
“I was impressed how long I lasted. I kept the gap fairly close for a while until the last lap where I died a little bit.
“I knew it would be extremely hard to beat her, it would only be if there was a mechanical or something that I would be able to beat her.”
Junior road and TT world champion Bäckstedt will now switch her attention to her first senior Classics campaign.
She won the junior Tour of Flanders last year, finishing over a minute ahead of her competitors, and will start her campaign on the opening Classics weekend with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in two weeks’ time followed a day later by Kuurnebrussels-kuurne.
The EF Education-tibco
“I’ve still got form, there’s no point in taking time off”
SVB rider will play a team role in the one-day races while learning the ropes of becoming a Worldtour rider.
Bäckstedt hopes to carry her form from the cyclocross season into the opening Classics races to impress her new team-mates.
She added: “I’ve still got form at the moment so there’s no point in taking some time off to then lose my form and gain it all back. I want to help out the team whichever way I can, that’s my whole role... try and get a result somehow for them.”
Bäckstedt was also key to Great Britain’s success in the team mixed relay, riding the opening leg as other teams started with their elite male or under-23 men.
With Bäckstedt limiting her team’s losses to 37 seconds, under-23 rider Joseph Blackmore reduced their deficit and put them back into contention.
Juniors Cat Ferguson and Alfie Amey maintained Great Britain’s medal chance before senior riders Anna Kay and Thomas Mein secured the silver medal behind the Netherlands.
“I knew it was going to be hard and I knew I was going to be in for a tough first lap but I think it really worked out quite nicely putting me in first,” added Bäckstedt.
“I think it surprised a couple of people putting me on the start line first mainly because everybody else used their guys to get a strong gap at the start.
“We came back quite close to the Dutch and it was a really great race.”