152. Zoe Bäckstedt: Why I love Sundays in Hell

This week, Robyn and James are joined by WorldTour pro Zoe Bäckstedt. Born in 2004 in Pontyclun, Wales to British track champion Megan Hughes and Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Bäckstedt, there were only two ways Zoe’s life (and sister Elynor’s for that matter) could have gone – cycling or cycling. So she burst onto the scene as a teenager, winning multiple junior world titles in road, track and cyclocross, before turning pro with EF Education-Tibco-SVB in 2022.

The following season saw her big move to Canyon//Sram zondacrypto, where she took her first pro win a season later with a stage at the Simac Ladies Tour. A string of top results and showings has followed across all three cycling disciplines, but at just 21 years old, colleagues, managers and pundits are all sure of one thing: Zoe’s best is yet to come.

In this episode, Zoe talks about how her multi-discipline abilities have converged on Classics specialist; how dad Magnus and mum Megan have made her the rider she is, along with the British rain; why, despite the chaos and carnage, Paris-Roubaix is still her favourite race; and just how difficult it is to play boardgames in a family that's so competitive.

Zoe's chat begins at 7.38

------------------

This episode is brought to you by the Hammerhead Karoo GPS bike computer. Visit hammerhead.io and use the code CYCLIST to get a free HR strap with every purchase (just be sure to add the strap to your cart then apply the code at checkout)

------------------

Did you know Cyclist is also stunning monthly print magazine?

Subscribe now at store.cyclist.co.uk/cycpod and get every issue for less than in the shops, delivered straight to your door

And it's also a rather lovely website about everything road cycling and gravel. Check us out at cyclist.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.