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Zoe Bäckstedt secures an impressive fifth-place finish at the Tour of Flanders, a significant jump from her previous outing in 2022 when she finished 56th. This year, she surprises herself by competing in the front group over the climbs, sharing the road with seasoned racers like Lotte Kopecky and Elisa Longo Borghini.
"I really didn't expect to be in that front group up over those climbs," Bäckstedt admits. After a strong performance in Dwars door Vlaanderen, where she finished fourth, her confidence soars heading into Flanders.
She describes the Koppenberg climb as a thrilling experience, stating, "That really gave me a few goosebumps." Bäckstedt finds herself in a chase group of five, pushing to catch leaders Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Puck Pieterse.
Despite battling fatigue, she sprints alongside Kopecky but narrowly misses out on fourth. The race reinforces Bäckstedt's readiness for her next challenge, Paris-Roubaix Femmes, where she aims to build on this momentum. The Welsh cyclist's day in Oudenaarde marks a promising milestone in her elite career.
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