British cyclist Zoe Backstedt celebrated her first professional victory at the Simac Ladies Tour in the Netherlands. The 20-year-old from Team Canyon triumphed in the 10.1km time trial in Gennep, beating Team Visma’s Lieke Nooijen by seven seconds with a time of 12 minutes and 40 seconds. Ellen van Dijk from Lidl-Trek finished third.
Backstedt expressed her joy after the race, mentioning that she had a great time on the bike and was thrilled to secure the stage win. She credited her success to her father, Magnus, a former Paris-Roubaix winner, who supported her from the back of the team car during the race. His encouragement helped her push herself to the limit and emerge victorious.
The Simac Ladies Tour spans six stages and covers a total distance of 708.1km, with the final stage scheduled to conclude in Arnhem on October 13th. Backstedt’s impressive performance in the time trial has set the stage for an exciting competition as the tour progresses. Fans and fellow cyclists will be eagerly following her journey as she aims for more victories in the remaining stages.
