Zoe Bäckstedt flies to sixth world title
The 19-year-old dominated the under-23 race at the Cyclo-cross World Championships last weekend, Adam Becket reports
Zoe Bäckstedt led Great Britain’s medal haul at the Cyclo-cross World Championships in Tábor last weekend, winning the under-23 race to take her sixth world title, at just 19.
The Welshwoman dominated on a muddy track in the Czech Republic, taking the lead on the opening lap and holding it until the line, eventually winning by 44 seconds. The under-23 CX rainbow bands followed her junior CX, road, time trial and track wins.
Despite the pressure on her young shoulders – she was the overwhelming favourite coming into the weekend – the Canyon-sram rider described the race as “so much fun”.
“I’m over the moon,” Bäckstedt said. “I was a little nervous coming into this one. It has been a really good season and I just wanted to top it off with this.
“I’m so glad that I could do it. I’m head to toe in mud... there were points where you were almost stopping on the course due to the mud. It made it so much fun.”
She led from the first lap after overtaking fast starter Marie Schreiber of Luxembourg, and then pulled away from the Czech Republic’s Kristýna Zemanová and Leonie Bentveld of the Netherlands. Zemanová went on to finish second, delighting the fans. There were apparently as many as 35,000 on the course.
“The crowd was incredible,” Bäckstedt said. “I didn’t expect that many people. I had people from British Cycling out on the course trying to shout things to me, and I really couldn’t hear much over the cheering, chainsaws, and noise from the crowd. That type of atmosphere pushes you on a little bit more.”
Having moved to Canyon-sram late last season, the 19-year-old will look to push on this year, taking her CX skills to the Classics.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” she said. “I can see my reflection in the camera now, which is pretty cool, as it’s the first time I’ve seen myself in the jersey! I’m over the moon to have the rainbow jersey on my shoulders and to take it home.”
Bäckstedt also played a key role in one of GB’S other
medal wins at the weekend, completing the first leg of the mixed relay, which GB went on to finish second in, with Cameron Mason unable to round Aubin Sparfel of France as they sprinted for the line.
It was two British junior riders, Cat Ferguson and Oscar Amey, who had put their team in contention for the win, taking significant time back on the riders in front. A strong Belgian team finished third.
Ferguson took GB’S third medal of the weekend, finishing second in her junior race, adding to the silver she won in the junior road race at the Glasgow Worlds last summer.
The 17-year-old was involved in a tight three-way battle for gold, along with Célia Gery of France and Viktória Chladoňová of Slovakia. Gery and Ferguson were left to fight it out on the final lap, but the former had just about enough to beat the latter in the end.