Zoe Bäckstedt entered the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships as the heavy favourite for the U23 women’s race – and she didn’t disappoint. Overcoming early crashes and tricky conditions, she powered into the lead and never looked back, jubilantly claiming her third individual cyclo-cross rainbow jersey.

With this triumph, the Welshwoman successfully defended her U23 world title from 2023 in Tábor, becoming only the second woman to win two U23 world championships, alongside fellow Brit Evie Richards. She also capped off a perfect long weekend, having already secured a gold medal in the Mixed Relay with Team Great Britain on Friday.

“It wasn’t the smoothest of seasons. Of course, I won the overall U23 World Cup, but the start of the season was a little bit more up and down for me. The last few races, especially Maasmechelen, really boosted my confidence. Coming into this one, I had the fire for it, and I’m really happy to come out on top.”

Racing in Liévin, Northern France, the riders faced a chilly 4°C afternoon start on a course that evolved by the hour. Zoe noted that conditions had changed drastically since her earlier recon, adding an extra layer of tension and unpredictability as the race unfolded and riders adapted in real time.

“The first lap wasn’t so smooth for me. I think maybe there was a little bit of panic, but also maybe just the adrenaline from the start of World Championships. I just slipped on one of the corners, wiped out and was a little bit further behind. I managed to reset myself and come back to the front.”

After navigating the chaos of the opening lap and closing a small gap to key contenders Marie Schreiber (LUX), Celia Gery (FRA), and Leonie Bentveld (NED), Zoe seized control of the race and established a small gap midway through lap two of five. Though she eventually won by 39 seconds to Schreiber, the victory was far from secure at any time. The slick, unforgiving conditions had already thwarted Zoe’s first attempt to apply pressure on the front, and no one was immune to losing grip in the merciless mud.

“There were a few points on the course where I could see back and forth, to gauge where I was compared to the last lap, and there were a few times where I could see that she was coming back a little bit. Also on the finish straight, I looked at the TV screen to see where she was on the climb, but there were a few sections where I could really put some power down and focus on my strength, and then I was able to bring the gap back out.”

With her cyclo-cross season now finished in sensational style, Zoe will enjoy some well-deserved downtime before, all too soon, fully shifting her focus to the spring classics period of road racing.

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