SUPERB SILVER FOR BÄCKSTEDT IN ELITE DEBUT AT ROAD WORLD CHAMPS

Not that it was ever really in doubt, but Zoe Bäckstedt looked completely at ease in her elite Road World Championships debut, delivering a composed and supremely strong time trial to claim silver behind defending champion Marlen Reusser (SUI) on day one of the championships in Montréal, Canada.

Zoe was delighted with the result, particularly given that this was only her second time trial against a full complement of the world’s best riders.

“I’m really happy with it! I’ve said before that I’m always disappointed not to win, but I think that’s just my nature – the person that I am, and that I’m born to be. I always want to do better. But second is incredible. I’m honestly really happy with it. After fourth at the Tour, I was quite disappointed, even though I was super close to the podium and it was my first proper hit-out with all of the big riders. So today, to get second, it’s a big improvement. I’m so pleased with the ride.”

The 39.2km course in and around Quebec’s biggest city – the same route contested by the elite men a few hours later – was the longest time trial ever faced by the women at the World Championships.

Starting downtown, the route initially darted through Montréal’s urban streets before following the St Lawrence River and its floating bike paths to Notre Dame Island, home to the famous Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Riders completed 1.5 laps of the F1 track before crossing Pont de la Concorde and returning to the Island of Montréal, retracing much of the opening section before tackling a 400m drag to the finishing gantry – a very welcome sight indeed.

With just 220m of elevation gain, the course broadly favoured the traditional time-trial specialist, but its varied nature still called for technical precision, constant alertness and carefully judged pacing.

It was the furthest Zoe had ever raced her Canyon Speedmax CFR, but the distance did little to deter the 21-year-old.

She laid down a scintillating opening half, leading the ever-impressive Reusser by 10 seconds at the first time check after 10.7km. That advantage had been reduced to just three seconds by 22km, as the defending champion began to really set about her business. Zoe noted:

“In the first half, when I heard the first time check, I was thinking, ‘okay, maybe it’s possible’. But, I also knew that Marlen was super strong, and she has a very big engine. So, I knew that it was possible she would bring a lot of time back on me, and she did. So yeah, massive respect to her.”

Reusser moved ahead decisively at the 29.8km time check, holding a 14-second advantage over Zoe and continuing to extend it through the closing quarter.

It was less a case of Zoe fading than Reusser simply continuing to turn the screws, with the young Briton ultimately stopping the clock at 51:04 minutes – an average speed of more than 46km/h.

“I felt super strong on the bike and like my body wasn’t moving – I didn’t feel like my upper body was getting tired, just my legs! Zoe reflected. “My whole mind was just like, ‘stay strong, stay focused, and keep pushing until the finish.’ On that climb, I was thinking, ‘just whatever you’ve got left – it’s only 400m and the very last part of the day – that’s it. If you can’t stand up afterwards, then you’ve done your job well.’”

While Koch (GER) had come through strongly a little earlier on, Zoe gave it her all, and then some, to maintain a five-second advantage over the eventual bronze medalist and secure at least silver. When Reusser ultimately finished 40 seconds clear, there was an air of complete acceptance around the result, the defending champion having produced a commanding and masterfully controlled ride.

For both Koch and Zoe’s teammate Antonia Niedermaier, the result marked another strong World Championships time trial performance. Like Zoe, the German made the jump to the elite category early, having won the U23 title for two consecutive years before Zoe, and finished sixth in Rwanda last year. This time around, she rode to seventh in Montréal, finishing 1:49 minutes behind Reusser on a course that was not that suited to her strengths.

Next up on the agenda for both Zoe and Antonia, as well as three other CANYON//SRAM teammates, is Saturday’s undoubtedly savage 180km elite road race. Much of the event will be contested on the relentlessly hilly Mont Royal circuit, with the distance once again making it a ‘longest-ever’ World Championship discipline tackled by the elite women.

Zoe certainly has thoughts on what lies ahead, but for now she is more interested in enjoying her new silverware, and the intervening days in Montréal.

“That road race is going to be interesting… and long! It’ll be tough from the moment that we hit the circuit, so from 65km onwards, and from there it’ll be absolutely brutal. I think there are going to be a few people who want to be in a breakaway, to get TV time on the climbs.

I think that the big hitters will play it out from a few laps in, and then it’ll be a sufferfest right from the bottom [of Camillien-Houde (2.3km at 6.2%)]. But for now, we won’t think about that – it’s still a little bit far away! So, I’ll enjoy a nice afternoon – go and get a coffee at the Canyon pop-up, and find some food. Tomorrow it’ll be an easy day, same with Tuesday. Then, one long ride, one interval day, and that’s it – I’ll prepared for the big one!”

On one final note, today also marked Zoe’s final day as the reigning U23 Time Trial World Champion, with the younger category set to race tomorrow from 09:00 EDT (15:00 CET). Their 20.4km course is a more conventional distance, but still features several familiar elements, including tricky corners, exposed riverside sections and a dragging finishing straight. CANYON//SRAM will be represented by Wilma Aintila (Finland), Justyna Czapla (Germany) and Tsige Kahsay Kiros (Ethiopia).