Zoe Backstedt, 21, captured silver in the elite women’s time trial at the 2026 Road World Championships in Montreal and will line up for Great Britain in the road race later this week.
Zoe Backstedt, aged 21 and still eligible for under‑23 competition, finished second in the elite women’s time trial at the 2026 Road World Championships in Montreal, earning a silver medal. She described the result as "over the moon" and praised the demanding course.
Backstedt comes from a prominent Welsh cycling family: her father Magnus won Paris‑Roubaix and a Tour de France stage, her mother Megan was a British road champion and Commonwealth Games competitor, and her sister Elynor earned junior world medals. By age 20 she had amassed nine world titles across cyclo‑cross, road and track, including junior world road race and time‑trial crowns.
Recent highlights include a sprint stage win at the 2026 Tour de Suisse Femmes, defending her elite British time‑trial title, winning the British road race, retaining the Baloise Ladies Tour, and placing fourth in a Tour de France Femmes time‑trial stage. She declined to defend her under‑23 world time‑trial title, finishing second to Marlen Reusser in the elite event.
Backstedt will compete in the road race on 26 September as one of Great Britain’s leaders, stating she prefers hard courses and intends to continue racing across road, time‑trial and cyclo‑cross disciplines. The outcome of that race remains to be seen.