On the again of successful U23 silver on the UCI Cyclocross World Championships teenager Zoe Bäckstedt is about to make her professional Classics debut at Opening Weekend later this month.
The 18-year-old gained the junior highway race and time trial titles on the Worlds final September which was adopted by her first senior cyclocross marketing campaign.
Not able to relaxation simply but, the EF Schooling-Tibco-SVB rider will compete within the Classics for the primary time on opening weekend with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on February 25 adopted a day later by Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.
“I’ve nonetheless bought type in the meanwhile so there isn’t any level in taking a while off to then lose my type and achieve all of it again,” mentioned Bäckstedt. “I wish to assist out the group in whichever manner I can, that is my complete position, to try to give a outcome someway for them.
“I have been making ready for cyclocross season so I’ve probably not been out and executed a lot recon. I did [a few Classics] as a junior however not hundreds.”
The Cyclocross Worlds was a profitable weekend for the teenager who was a part of the Nice Britain facet who completed second in the combined group relay after which gained a second silver medal within the U23 ladies’s race behind Shirin van Anrooij.
Regardless of being over two years youthful than Van Anrooij it was Bäckstedt who supplied her solely challenger holding the house favorite at a handful of seconds within the first half of the race.
The energy and expertise of Van Anrooi ultimately proved the distinction as she clinched the world title 33 seconds forward of Bäckstedt with third-placed Kristyna Zemanová virtually one other minute again.
“I attempted to carry onto the wheel for so long as potential,” added Bäckstedt. “That was the one reasonable manner of enjoying it. I knew that if I went in entrance of her she would come previous me once more sooner or later, she has bought that bit extra endurance.
“I used to be impressed by how lengthy I lasted, conserving the hole pretty shut for some time till the final lap the place I died a bit bit. I knew it could be extraordinarily arduous to beat her, it could solely be if there was a mechanical or one thing that I’d be capable of beat her.
“Second is admittedly one thing. You must play it so you’ve got bought one thing left for the top so you do not fully die off. I am fairly pleased with the way it went right this moment.”
Bäckstedt has gained world titles on the highway and cyclocross and is about to change into one other multi-discipline rider combining each seasons.
“The dream for cyclocross – elite world champ could be one thing fairly cool however I must see first the place cyclocross is in my profession,” Backstedt added.
“It might simply be what Wout [Van Aert] and Mathieu [Van der Poel] do the place they arrive in and do some choose races just like the elite Worlds and if it will get within the Olympics then that as nicely.”
Bäckstedt has moved to Belgium this cyclocross season in a bid to enhance her ‘cross capacity. After crashing and ending fifth on the UEC European Cyclocross Championships the 18-year-old has proven her capacity narrowly lacking out on a World Cup elite podium with two fourth-placed finishes.
“Because the begin of the season I’ve progressed so much,” added Bäckstedt. “I’ve learnt that the perfect riders are actually robust, Shirin, Puck Pieterse and all that. There nonetheless probably not a lot older than me however going into the elites with Puck and [elite world champion] Fem Van Empel.
“Studying in recon as nicely if you’re out with them to observe their traces as a result of they know what they undoubtedly know what they’re doing.”
