Zoe Bäckstedt defends 2025 Worlds CX U23 title despite tricky start in Liévin

Zoe Bäckstedt successfully defended her under-23 world championship title in Liévin, overcoming a chaotic start and a late scare to secure victory. The British rider finished 39 seconds ahead of Marie Schreiber, with Leonie Bentveld taking bronze for the Netherlands.

The race got off to a dramatic start as Marie Schreiber, known for her strong openings, struggled to clip into her pedal, losing valuable seconds. Bäckstedt, despite getting away cleanly, soon found herself in trouble on a slippery descent, crashing heavily and dropping back. This allowed Schreiber to push forward alongside Célia Gery and Leonie Bentveld, creating a competitive front group early on.

Bäckstedt quickly recovered, making the decisive move midway through the second lap. After switching to a bike with lower tyre pressure, she powered through the mud, opening up a lead while Schreiber and Bentveld scrambled to keep pace. Gery initially put up a strong fight but faded as the race progressed, leaving Schreiber as the only real challenger.

At the halfway point, Schreiber managed to reduce the gap to just 12 seconds, briefly sparking hopes of a late challenge. However, mistakes on a technical section saw her lose time again, widening the gap to over 20 seconds. Bentveld, meanwhile, battled past Gery to move into third place, consolidating her position as the race entered its closing stages.

Bäckstedt’s lead was not entirely secure, though. A slip on the final lap saw Schreiber gain back some time, but the British rider had enough of a buffer to see out the win. “The first lap wasn’t so smooth for me,” Bäckstedt admitted. “The conditions were completely different from what I’d expected in the recon, so I think I panicked a little. I slipped in one of the early corners, and that definitely put me on edge.”

Even as she built up a commanding advantage, Bäckstedt never felt completely in control. “I wasn’t at ease, even with a 30-second lead. The course was really challenging, completely different from what I had thought. Even on the flat corners, you could easily slide out.”

Schreiber had entered the race hoping to challenge for gold, but her errors in the latter stages made it difficult to truly contest Bäckstedt’s dominance. “There were moments where I could see her coming back a little,” Bäckstedt said. “I kept checking on the big screen and using certain sections to push my advantage again.”

divCyclo-cross-World-Championships-Zoe-Backstedt-lives-up-to-the-billing-and-defends-womens-U23-titlediv-1Photo Credit: Getty

Meanwhile, Leonie Bentveld secured the final podium spot after a strong ride. The Dutchwoman had to work her way back from a difficult start but was able to pass early fast-starter Célia Gery to take third. “I think this was the best I could do today,” she told WielerFlits. “The time gaps were big, and at one point, I was sitting fourth or fifth. Moving up to third, I can be really happy with that.”

Bentveld felt that her strength lay in her technical skills rather than her raw power. “I knew from past races that things could change in the second half. I just tried to avoid mistakes and move up steadily without going over my limit. I made up a lot of time on the technical sections. Even after switching bikes, I could get back into the rhythm quickly.”

The Dutch rider is still in her third year at U23 level but is already looking ahead. “I’ve made a lot of progress, especially since racing more on the road. The level is getting higher, and I hope I can take another step forward next season. After that, I’ll move up to the elites, but I think I’m heading in the right direction.”

With her second consecutive U23 world title secured, Bäckstedt can now shift focus towards the spring classics on the road. “It wasn’t always an easy season, especially at the start, but my result in Maasmechelen gave me a confidence boost,” she reflected. “I had the fire for this race, and I’m really happy to come out on top.”

2025 U23 Women’s Cyclocross World Championship result

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