Zoe Bäckstedt opened the 2026 Baloise Ladies Tour exactly where she left off last year, winning the 3.9-kilometre prologue in IJzendijke and moving into the first leader’s jersey of the race.
The Canyon SRAM rider stopped the clock in 4:40, beating fellow Brit Millie Couzens of Fenix-Premier Tech by five seconds. Fleur Moors was third for Lidl-Trek, six seconds down, while several bigger-name pre-race favourites were unable to match the early benchmark.
It continues a remarkable summer for Bäckstedt, who arrived at the Baloise Ladies Tour fresh from a stage win at the Tour de Suisse Women and a double title success at the British Road Championships, where she won both the elite women’s time trial and road race. Now she has added another prologue win to a race she already conquered overall in 2025.
Bäckstedt back in business
Bäckstedt was defending the race she won last season, and the prologue immediately put her back in control. The 21-year-old was the only rider able to break the 50kph average barrier on a short, exposed and technical course that left little room for error.
Couzens had set one of the first serious target times at 4:45, with Moors one second slower. That looked strong enough to challenge for the podium, but Bäckstedt then crossed the line in 4:40 to remove her compatriot from the hot seat.
From there, the benchmark held. Lotte Kopecky, Anna Henderson and Charlotte Kool were among the major names still to ride, but none of them could dislodge Bäckstedt, Couzens or Moors from the top three.
For Bäckstedt, it was a familiar outcome in this race. Last year’s overall victory began with the same kind of statement against the clock, and this year’s title defence has started with another immediate reminder of how dangerous she is over short time-trial distances.
A short course, but a painful one
The prologue was only 3.9 kilometres, but that did not make it straightforward. The almost square-shaped route around IJzendijke featured seven bends of varying difficulty, and the wind meant riders needed both power and control to keep speed through the course.
In a prologue that short, pacing becomes unusually difficult. There is no time to settle into a long rhythm, but going too hard too early can still cost seconds in the final minute. Bäckstedt admitted afterwards that the distance made it a hard effort to judge.
“It feels really nice. Super cool,” she said. “A prologue is always an interesting race – 3.9km, last year 3.2km. It’s a super, super short effort and it’s hard to know how to pace it. You never really know how your legs are going to feel in such a short time trial… well, prologue!”
She also suggested the winning ride was not completely clean. One corner was not taken on the ideal line, and by the finish the effort had become pure survival.
“Let’s just say that I had a few small hiccups – one corner where I didn’t exactly take the best line. And then, coming into the finish, my heart rate was just so high that I couldn’t even think about cornering properly. But otherwise, it was quite good. I tried to follow a pacing plan. I knew what number I needed to be hitting, and I tried my very best to do that for the whole ride. But the pain takes over at some point, and my legs were really screaming at me.”
That combination of speed, technical skill and willingness to suffer was enough to separate her from the rest of the field.
Couzens and Moors complete the podium
Couzens’ second place was an excellent result for Fenix-Premier Tech, especially with teammate Kool among the headline sprint names in the race. Her early 4:45 gave the field a serious target and ultimately stood up as the second-best time of the evening.
Moors was also impressive in third for Lidl-Trek, only one second behind Couzens and six seconds behind Bäckstedt. On a course this short, that was still a significant gap to the winner, but enough to put her firmly in the early general classification picture.
The podium also underlined the prologue’s value as more than a ceremonial opener. The race may offer chances for sprinters over the coming days, but these first seconds already matter. Bäckstedt has a five-second gap over Couzens, six over Moors, and more over the rest of the field before the first road stage.
Those margins are small in absolute terms, but at the Baloise Ladies Tour they can carry through the week. Last year showed how useful an opening prologue win can be if the leader has the team and form to defend across fast, technical road stages.
Bigger names miss the top three
The pre-race favourites’ list included Kopecky, Henderson and Kool, but none of them managed to get close enough to challenge Bäckstedt’s time. That does not end their race, but it does change the tactical picture.
Kopecky remains dangerous in almost every scenario at this level, especially if the road stages become exposed, aggressive or bonus-second heavy. Henderson still has time-trial ability and the race craft to stay relevant. Kool will be more focused on the sprint opportunities ahead, particularly if Fenix-Premier Tech can organise the road stages around her speed.
But the opening move belongs clearly to Bäckstedt. She did not simply edge the field by fractions. Five seconds over Couzens and six over Moors on a 3.9-kilometre course is a meaningful margin. It gives Canyon SRAM a leader’s jersey to protect and gives the rest of the field a problem to solve immediately.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike had a solid but unspectacular start, with Katharina Sadnik 16th, Nienke Veenhoven 17th and Margaux Vigié 20th, all 14 seconds behind Bäckstedt. Sports director Joppe de Heij said afterwards that the team could be satisfied overall, while making clear that Thursday’s stage is a bigger target.
“Tomorrow we want to go for the stage win with Nienke,” he said, pointing towards the expected sprint finish in Knokke-Heist.
Leader’s jersey instead of British stripes
Bäckstedt arrived at the race with new British national champion status, but she will not wear the road race champion’s jersey on Thursday. Instead, she goes into stage 1 as overall leader, while also leading the points and youth classifications after her prologue win.
That is a good problem to have, but it also changes Canyon SRAM’s responsibilities. The Baloise Ladies Tour can be difficult to control because the road stages are often shaped by wind, road furniture, positioning and repeated technical sections rather than obvious climbs.
Thursday’s stage from Oostende to Knokke-Heist is 112.5 kilometres and looks like a sprint opportunity, but the coast can make it far more complicated than the profile suggests. Forecast winds of around 24kph could play a role, while the finishing circuit in Knokke-Heist is expected to add more technical pressure.
Bäckstedt was cautious about what to expect, especially with Kool and Kopecky both in the race.
“I don’t really know what I’m hoping for tomorrow,” she said. “Okay, I did a sprint in Tour de Suisse, but not really against any of the big sprinters. Charlotte [Kool] and Lotte [Kopecky] are here. There’s a lot of strong sprinters, so we’ll see how I go tomorrow. But I think the wind could also play a very big part in the stage.”
Baloise Ladies Tour already has its reference point
The opening prologue has given the race its first shape. Bäckstedt is in the jersey, Canyon SRAM have control, and the sprinters and all-rounders now have to decide how aggressive they want the road stages to become.
For Bäckstedt, the win is another marker in a season that is increasingly becoming one of her clearest road breakthroughs. A Tour de Suisse stage win, two British titles and now another Baloise Ladies Tour prologue victory is a serious run of form.
The question now is whether she can turn this opening win into another overall title. Last year, the prologue was the platform. This year, she has made the same first move.
The rest of the race now has to respond.
Baloise Ladies Tour 2026 prologue result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
