For the first time in the history of the UCI Road World Championships, the Women’s Under-23 time trial was held as a stand-alone event, giving young riders genuine international recognition. High above Kigali in Rwanda, it was Britain’s Zoe Bäckstedt who seized this landmark moment. Lining up as the hot favourite, she utterly demolished the opposition over a testing 22.6km course, pulling on yet another rainbow jersey after a performance of sheer dominance.
Crushing victory brings another world title
The 22.6km route, featuring two tough climbs – the Côte de Nyanza (2.3km at 5.8%) and Kimiruhura (1.3km at 5.9%) – was never going to slow down Bäckstedt. Starting as the rider to beat, the 20-year-old Briton simply flew around the course, stopping the clock at 30 minutes 56 seconds. Her nearest challenger, Slovakia’s Viktória Chladoňová, was left trailing almost two minutes back (1’51”).
That blistering ride delivered her a first rainbow jersey at U23 level, and an eighth world title across disciplines – her growing palmarès already spanning cyclo-cross, road and track.
Bäckstedt’s dominance wasn’t just on the stopwatch: she physically caught and passed two rivals on the road, including Luxembourg’s Marie Schreiber, who had started three minutes earlier. Italy’s Federica Venturelli rounded out the podium at 2’11”, while Britain’s Felicity Wilson-Haffenden, who had looked on course for a medal, faded badly in the second half after misjudging her pacing. Spain’s Paula Blasi and France’s Julie Bégo, both tipped as potential contenders, disappointed in 12th and 18th respectively.
Mastering the conditions in Kigali
Beyond the raw numbers, Bäckstedt’s triumph carried extra weight given the Rwandan backdrop. Altitude, searing heat, heavy humidity and relentless gradients made the test far more than a straightforward time trial. Riding for CANYON//SRAM Zondacrypto, she had tailored her build-up with precision – focused recovery, specific warm-up drills, light acclimatisation rides – everything geared towards being in peak shape on the day.
At the first time check, atop the Nyanza climb, she was already 16 seconds clear. Knowing the closing stretch would be decisive, she pressed harder still, stretching the gap to 34 seconds at the second split before emptying the tank on the brutal cobbled rise to the line. “It was such a brutal race, with the temperature right up there. I just gave everything to the finish,” she admitted afterwards, emotional but elated.
This victory also marked Bäckstedt’s return to the Worlds, having last featured in Wollongong 2022 where she did the junior double. She had considered stepping up to the Elite race, but the lure of completing her rainbow collection proved irresistible – and she delivered in style. Next stop: Montreal 2026, where she has her sights set firmly on taking on the seniors. On current evidence, her rivals have been put on notice.
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