BÄCKSTEDT CONTINUES STRONG BALOISE START WITH SPRINT PODIUM

After opening her Baloise Ladies Tour campaign with victory in Wednesday evening’s short but sharp golden-hour prologue, Zoe Bäckstedt followed it up with third place in Thursday’s bunch sprint, completing the podium in a strong field of fast finishers after a demanding 113km stage on the Belgian coast.

The twisting, exposed route combined wide carriageways with narrow Flemish lanes, both littered with road furniture and surface changes that required constant vigilance. Add in steady 24kph winds, and the ingredients were there for an aggressive afternoon. A transition from cobbles into exposed roads duly saw crosswinds split the peloton around the midway point of the stage, with race leader Zoe and Maike van der Duin safely tucked inside the front group of around 50 riders.

When the peloton had reached the 19km finishing circuit – tackled 2.5 times – the race was all back together. Despite a handful of plucky solo attackers, the sprinters kept the race firmly in check as an inevitable bunch kick drew nearer.

The final kilometres through the seaside streets of Knokke-Heist were predictably frantic. With the bunch scattered down the 600m finishing straight after a late crash opened gaps, Zoe surfed her way through the front ten wheels before seeking clear air with 150m remaining. Launching an almost entirely seated sprint, she charged to third behind proven Dutch sprinters Veenhoven (TJV) and Kool (FPC), securing a podium in one of her first genuine all-out attempts at a full-scale bunch sprint.

Zoe was pleased that she and the team had safely negotiated the stage, but while satisfied with the execution, she was far from content with simply finishing on the podium. It was a reaction that spoke volumes about how much her confidence and ambitions have grown throughout this season.

“A true Belgian bunch sprint… it was absolute chaos the whole day – crashes left, right and centre. First of all, I hope that all the riders who crashed with 1.5km to go are okay and can race tomorrow.”

“In the end, third place… it’s okay. It’s not the best and definitely could have been better – I think maybe I was just a little boxed in after the corner. But, the girls did a super good lead-out for me. Tiff [Cromwell] was basically on the front from 10 until 4km to go to keep me in position and did an amazing job, along with Maike as the last lead-out. So yeah, it makes me sad that I couldn’t finish it off with a better result for them, but I think for myself, third is still quite okay in my first real sprint.”

She added:

“If the personal expectation isn’t there to win, then I’m not a leader and why am I sprinting? Then, we would instead go all in for Maike. So I need to be disappointed with it, but I can still be happy with how myself and the team performed together.”

Friday’s longer 129.5km stage, based around Zulte, follows a formula familiar to many. Much like last year’s edition where Chiara Consonni sprinted to fourth, the route traverses roads synonymous with the spring classics. A decisive 45km middle phase between Waregem and Oudenaarde features a smattering of cobbled sectors, punchy bergs and meandering Flemish lanes, adding a layer of unpredictability before a flat and fast circuit-based finale.

Zoe will wear the purple leader’s jersey for another day, retaining her lead in the general classification with a five-second advantage on Kool and eight seconds over Veenhoven. She also continues to lead the youth and points classifications.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Stage 2 – Baloise Ladies Tour |  Fri, July 17 | Zulte | 129.5km | 648m | 13:30 CET | Live 15:00.

Stage 3a | Sat, July 18 | Maaseik | 8.3km (TT) | 13m | from 11:00 CET | Live 12:15.

Stage 3b | Sat, July 18 | Maaseik | 106km | 267m | 17:00 CET | Live 18:00.

Stage 4 | Sun, July 19 | Mechelen | 111.8km | 232m | 14:00 CET | Live 15:00.

Watch every stage live on Pickx Proximus. Stay updated on X with #BaloiseLT26 and #BLT26, and follow CANYON//SRAM social channels for the latest team updates.