Meet Zoe Bäckstedt, road cycling’s new star: “I look back and think ‘How did I do that?'” – exclusive

21-year-old Welsh cyclist Zoe Bäckstedt won a silver medal at her first elite UCI World Championships in Montreal, competing in the longest women's time trial in the competition's history at 39.2km on 20 September. Despite being eligible to defend her 2025 under-23 UCI World Championship time trial title, she chose to step up to the senior elite category. In an exclusive interview with Olympics.com, Bäckstedt described approaching the race with 'no pressure', treating it as an opportunity to have fun and gain experience.