UEC Road European Championships 2023: Zoe Backstedt wins U23 time trial gold
- Published
Britain's Zoe Backstedt (centre) celebrates after winning the gold medal at the Road European Championships U23 women's individual time trial
Britain's Zoe Backstedt produced a stunning ride to take gold at the Road European Championships women's Under-23 time trial.
The 18-year-old Welsh rider won by a huge 57.51 seconds from her nearest challenger, German Antonia Niedermaier.
Finland's Anniina Ahtosalo finished a further 35.96 sec back in third at the race in Drenthe, the Netherlands.
A time-trial specialist, Backstedt won World Junior time trial gold in 2021, as did Welsh compatriot Joshua Tarling.
Backstedt also won two silvers at the Cyclocross World Championships in February and finished fifth at the Simac Ladies Tour earlier in September.
Her older sister Elynor rides for Pro tour team Lidl-Trek, while her father Magnus won a stage at the Tour de France in 1998 along with the monument Paris-Roubbaix in 2004, with Zoe using her father's winning pedals when she competed on the cobbles of Roubbaix in 2023.
Both Tarling and Cardiff's Elinor Barker are competing at the European Championships in the senior men's and women's categories, with Tarling hoping to add to his current World time trial bronze and British time trial gold.