Zoe Bäckstedt claims junior Cyclocross World Championship title
The Brit delivers on favourite status in Fayetteville
Zoe Bäckstedt is the junior cyclocross world champion.
Delivering on her status as race favourite, the 17-year-old attacked on the first lap up the long climb, disappearing from her rivals' views.
Bäckstedt had a 20-second gap after the halfway point, increasing to a minute at one point, before eventually crossing the line half a minute ahead of Dutchwoman Leonie Bentveld.
Lauren Molengraaf, also Dutch, claimed the bronze medal, a further half a minute adrift, just ahead of Brit Ella Maclean-Howell who claimed an agonising fourth-place finish.
"To be honest, I'm shocked," Bäckstedt said after her win.
“I had a pretty good season on the road and in the cross. But because of corona I was unlucky and missed the World Cup and had to miss the British National Championship.
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"However, it did ensure that I fought back stronger and was able to provide some extra fire today.”
Bäckstedt's first lap attack wasn't a spur of the moment thing, it was planned, and gives evidence to her dominance of the junior ranks.
“I spoke to my coach before the race and I wondered: am I going to attack right away on the first climb? He said if I felt good I should go for it. I started the climb second, threw my cards on the table and rode up as fast as I could," she said.
“Then I kept going. Every lap I went up the climb as hard as I could because I knew I could make a difference there. For the rest I had to check and make sure I wouldn't fall. It was a pretty good day!”
In the U23 Men's Championships, it was an all-Belgian podium, Joran Wyseure claiming the rainbow jersey with Emiel Verstrynge and Thibau Nys claiming silver and gold respectively.
Result
UCI Cyclocross World Championship: Women Juniors
1. Zoe Bäckstedt (GBr), in 41-16
2. Leonie Bentveld (Ned), at 32 seconds
3. Lauren Molengraaf (Ned), at 57s
4. Ella Maclean-Howell (GBr), at 1-06
5. Federica Venturelli (Ita), at 1-09
6. Lilou Fabregue (Fra), at same time
7. Ava Holmgren (Can), at 1-38
8. Isabella Holmgren (Can), at 1-49
9. Alma Johansson (Swe), at 1-57
10. Julia Kopecky (Cze), at 2-03
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Hi. I'm Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor. I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.
Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).
I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.
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