Zoe Bäckstedt has provided a significant update on her recovery, revealing she hopes to return to racing before the end of 2025 after breaking her wrist in a heavy training crash at the end of October. The 21-year-old Briton, who has not raced since the road season, is back on the bike but restricted to indoor training for now.
Her message was as upbeat as it was honest. Her wrist is healing well, she explained, though the hours spent on the turbo trainer are testing her patience. The next medical check-up will determine when she can resume outdoor riding and begin to think about racing again. If everything progresses smoothly, she expects to pin on a number in the final week of the year. Keep your fingers crossed for me was her closing line.
Bäckstedt’s crash and enforced pause mean her cyclocross season will start far later than last winter, when she hit the ground running in November and built steadily to another standout campaign. She ended her 2024–25 road season with a stage win at the Simac Ladies Tour and the U23 world time trial title in Rwanda, then carried that momentum into the mud with podiums in Dublin, Maasmechelen and Zonhoven and a second successive U23 rainbow jersey.
Her progress this season will be watched carefully. She warned earlier in November that expectations should be realistic in her opening races, but she also added that once rhythm returns everything will fall into place. The timeline now points towards the World Cup rounds in the final week of December – Gavere on the 26th and Dendermonde on the 28th – as potential comeback targets.
Photo Credit: GettyA season defined by setbacks and resilience
Bäckstedt is not the only major figure whose start to the winter has been delayed by injury. Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado returned last weekend in Flamanville after persistent knee issues, marking her comeback with a strong third place. The broader narrative of the early season has been shaped by riders managing recoveries, setbacks and gradual returns to form. Bäckstedt joins that list but brings a proven ability to rebound quickly.
Her cyclocross pedigree needs little introduction. As a junior, she dominated the World Cup, the European Championships and the Worlds. As a U23 rider, she has collected rainbow jerseys, European titles and World Cup podiums while proving she can compete deep into elite races. Last season she finished fourth overall in the Women’s Elite World Cup standings after racing every round, the highest-placed U23 rider by a distance.
Photo Credit: GettyWhat she has achieved so far
Bäckstedt’s results over the past few years underline why her return is so eagerly anticipated. Her highlights across the major winters include U23 world titles, European crowns, multiple UCI wins and a steady upward trajectory whenever she puts together a consistent block of racing. The promise is clear: when she hits form, she becomes a fixture at the front of races and a threat for victory against riders many years her senior.
What happens next
For now, the focus remains simple: heal, train, test the wrist outdoors and secure clearance to race. The World Cup calendar offers ten rounds this winter, with two already completed and the busiest period about to begin. The mid to late December races arrive at precisely the point where Bäckstedt hopes to return.
If she makes it back before the new year, she will have enough time to settle in before the championship period of January. If not, the second half of the World Cup and the run towards the Worlds remain fully within reach.
What is certain is that the British sensation is edging closer to a comeback – and given her history of rapid progression, even a delayed start will not diminish expectations once she fully rebuilds her rhythm.
