Zoe Bäckstedt thundered to her first under-23 road world title on Monday, winning the time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda.
The Brit, a three-time junior road world champion, won by 1:50 ahead of Slovakia’s Viktória Chladoňová, averaging 43.8kph over the 22.6km course.
So dominant was Bäckstedt’s effort, that she caught and passed two riders: Julia Kopecký (Czech Republic), who started 1:30 ahead of her, and Marie Schreiber (Luxembourg), who had a 3:00 head start.
“I was of course nervous before the start. I think that’s natural in one of these championship events,” Bäckstedt said afterwards.
Those nerves began to subside when, before even the halfway mark, she overtook Kopecký, a fellow WorldTour-level rider.
“Those two climbs that we had to do just zapped your legs completely,” Bäckstedt said. “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.
Waiting in the hot seat for Bäckstedt’s arrival, Chladoňová had drawn out her lead on the closing climb: the Côte de Kimihurura (1.3km at 6.3%). The Brit, too, ploughed into the cobbles, passing Schreiber with 1km to go, and charging in victory to the line.
Having decided not to take part in the under-23 road race, Bäckstedt will now leave Rwanda with a rainbow jersey. In fact, this year’s Road World Championships mark the third of the 20-year-old’s career, at each of which she has won at least one title: the junior road race in 2021, and the junior road race and time trial in 2022.
“It means a lot,” Bäckstedt said of her latest exploit. “Hopefully next time I can try out for the elites.”
Results
Women’s under-23 individual time trial, Kigali > Kigali (22.6km)
1. Zoe Bäckstedt (Great Britain) in 30:56
2. Viktória Chladoňová (Slovakia), +1:50
3. Federica Venturelli (Italy), +2:11
4. Felicity Wilson-Haffenden (Australia), +2:21
5. Alena Ivanchencko (Individual Neutral Athlete), +2:22
6. Millie Couzens (Great Britain), +2:37
7. Justyna Czapla (Germany), +2:47
8. Alli Anderson (Australia), +2:53
9. Tabea Huys (Austria), +2:59
10. Ava Holmgreen (Canada), +3:05
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