Zoe Backstedt confirmed her reputation as one of the peloton’s most exciting young time triallists by storming to victory in stage 5 of the Simac Ladies Tour. The British national champion repeated her success from last year’s edition, stopping the clock in 12:34 over the 10.2km course from Doetinchem to Westendorp. Christina Schweinberger was six seconds slower in second, while Ellen van Dijk, riding the final time trial of her career, finished third at 17 seconds.
For the first time this week, Lorena Wiebes did not win a stage, but her ninth-place finish, 33 seconds down on Backstedt, was more than enough to keep her safely in the race lead. The Dutch sprinter remains 48 seconds ahead of Elisa Balsamo going into Sunday’s finale.
Photo Credit: GettyHow the stage unfolded
Riders faced a flat, rural course bathed in late-summer sunshine. With few technical turns and wide stretches of road, the stage was always going to be one for the pure specialists. Anniina Ahtosalo set the first meaningful benchmark at 13:11 before Marthe Goossens lowered the bar to 12:59, a time that held firm against early favourites like Emma Norsgaard and Vittoria Guazzini.
Then came Van Dijk. At 38 years old and with three world titles against the clock to her name, she blasted through the course seven seconds quicker than Goossens, raising the prospect of a perfect farewell TT win. The Dutchwoman’s hot seat tenure didn’t last long. Schweinberger quickly dislodged her with a time of 12:40, before Backstedt shaved off another six seconds to post what proved to be the winning mark.
Backstedt’s ride put her level on GC time with Megan Jastrab and elevated her into the top four overall. Cat Ferguson lost her best young rider’s jersey after conceding 37 seconds, while Balsamo slipped 47 seconds off the pace but still overtook Jastrab to move into second overall. Lieke Nooijen impressed with fourth on the stage in 12:58, keeping her in the fight for a strong GC finish alongside teammate Margaux Vigie.
Wiebes’ run of stage wins ended, but she remains firmly in control of the overall standings. Despite a brief off-road moment on a mid-course bend, she crossed the line comfortably in the top 10, still looking untouchable in the battle for yellow.
Photo Credit: GettyReactions
Backstedt was thrilled with her performance: “It’s a really nice feeling. It’s not often that we get to race time trials in stage races. The last one was Burgos, and that was maybe a bit too much for me, but it was a nice feeling to win today, and it brought back some memories from Simac last year as well.”
Wiebes, meanwhile, looked ahead to Sunday’s gravel-heavy finale: “I’m happy to still be in yellow. Tomorrow will be a tough day with the gravel, but the team is strong, and we’ll be ready for it.”
Schweinberger praised her consistency after another top result this season: “It was a really good course for me, and I’m happy with second today. It shows the work I’ve done on the TT bike is paying off.”
Van Dijk, visibly emotional after her final time trial, reflected on her career-long speciality: “Of course I would have loved to win my last TT, but being up there one last time is special enough. It’s been a beautiful chapter.”
Lily Williams, who placed 10th, took encouragement from her steady improvement: “I’m super happy with the result. Our testing in Ghent really paid off, and I think I’ve found a few extra watts. It makes me excited for the future.”
With one stage left, the race looks set to conclude in a sprint, though the gravel sectors and Dutch winds could still spring surprises. For Backstedt, the day belonged to her – another WorldTour TT win and a statement that she’s ready to challenge the best.
2025 Simac Ladies Tour Stage 5 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Lucas Abad
