With a successful road season now behind her, Zoe Bäckstedt will kick off an exciting cyclocross season this Sunday 10th November. The CANYON//SRAM Racing rider will bring her late-season solid form and enthusiasm to the start line at Lokeren X²O Trophee. After an impressive end to the road season with a stage win, third in the general classification and a win in the youth classification at the Simac Ladies Tour, Bäckstedt feels well-prepared for the unique demands of cyclo-cross and is looking forward to the new season.
Reflecting on her recent form, Bäckstedt said, ”The end of my road season was better than expected. It excites me for the cyclo-cross season, knowing I have some good form for the first races. I just need to dial in the technical aspects, and I’m ready to go!”
This season, Bäckstedt’s program includes a packed UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup schedule, with a condensed lineup of races from mid-November until early February. This year’s program will feature multiple double-race weekends, which promises to bring intensity and valuable experience. With a still young but steadily progressing career, Bäckstedt is eager to see how she stacks up against her top competitors. “This year’s World Cup program is condensed into less than 2.5 months. That means a lot of intense weekends with double days. I’ve still not had too many full cyclo-cross seasons at the elite level, but I look forward to seeing how I progress.”
A major highlight of Bäckstedt’s season is the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, set to take place in Liévin, France on February 2nd 2025. With a defending U23 title at stake, the British rider is motivated to give it her all. However, the goal for the season extends beyond any one race.
“One of the biggest goals will be the World Championships, not too far from my home in Belgium and, fingers crossed, a course that I will find fun!” she said with enthusiasm. “But most importantly for this season, it’s just to enjoy it and push all the way in each race. The road season didn’t go 100% to plan, so I want to take each race as it comes.”
As an exciting addition to Zoe Bäckstedt’s positive team experience, Geert Wellens joins CANYON//SRAM Racing as Sport Director for the 2024/2025 cyclo-cross season. Wellens brings a wealth of experience to the team from his years of racing cyclo-cross and his history of working with Bäckstedt as she transitioned to the elite category.
Bäckstedt said, “I worked with Geert for 2.5 years when moving from juniors to the elite category. I always loved how he approached coaching sessions and made them fun. Geert’s knowledge is like no other, and I find this beneficial when I’m at a cyclo-cross race. Having the best support pre, during, and post-race helps me stay focused and confident going into each race.”
For Wellens, reuniting with Bäckstedt brings excitement and motivation as he joins CANYON//SRAM Racing this winter. “Joining one of the biggest Women’s WorldTour teams is a new challenge for me. I’ve been part of development and youth teams before, but being a part of CANYON//SRAM Racing motivates me a lot,” Wellens admitted.
“I was DS when Zoe joined the Acrog/Tormans team in U19. There was an immediate click, and we found a balance of working hard, having fun, and enjoying cyclo-cross. We’ve stayed in contact over the last years if she had any cross questions. My job is to help her stay motivated, be ready to give some pep talks and try to give her a good feeling on the bike when we do the cyclo-cross training sessions together. It’s a balance of being 100% focused, because you need to be at this top level and find ways to enjoy the sport.”
Wellens’ guidance brings experience and a genuine dedication to Bäckstedt’s development, focusing on her race-day performance and her mindset.
“We’ve had some training sessions together, and I’m honest in telling her the mistakes to improve her technique. She learns quickly, so it’s motivating for us to work together. We’ll train specific skills on some courses she has yet to race on in the last two years. Working with someone who knows most tracks very well is also an advantage. I believe that it will be helpful for her to take some big steps. Each centimetre is important in cyclo-cross. Giving information about dangerous corners or learning to make split-second decisions on positioning can mean winning or losing.”
“We’ll see Zoe’s level in the first races. It’s important to take the season step by step. Of course, Zoe’s biggest race is the World Championships, but that’s the same for every rider. We aim to start with a good feeling in the first races, then go into the first World Cups confidently and set our other season goals,” Wellens concluded.
First races for Zoe Bäckstedt
November 10, 2024 – Lokeren X²O Trophee
November 16, 2024 – Merksplas Superprestige
November 17, 2024 – Hamme X²O Trophee
November 24, 2024 – Antwerpen World Cup
December 1, 2024 – Dublin World Cup
