Zoe Bäckstedt arrives before the march across the hallowed cobbles of Paris-Roubaix as a co-leader for Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto. In the last week alone, she’s soared to new heights with her first top 5 finishes at Women’s WorldTour one-day races, Dwars door Vlaanderen and Tour of Flanders.
This is the sixth edition of the women’s Hell of the North, with 33.7km of the 143.1-kilometre test punctuated by 20 sectors of pavé, making it one of the most ruthless rides on the calendar.
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“I’m having great fun this spring, and I’m enjoying every challenge and every race I’ve been in. It’s a good learning experience for me,” Backstedt told Cyclingnews.
“Obviously, the Flanders and Roubaix courses are two very different things, but it’s given me good insights into where my form is at,” she added in a team statement.
“I’d love to better my result from last year, but you can’t go in with too many expectations as it’s such an unpredictable race. I always race the best when I’m there to have fun and to show myself, so I’m ready to race my heart out!”
One of the confidence boosters is the solid fortress of teammates who will ride together on Sunday. In fact, all six riders – Bäckstedt, Chiara Consonni, Tiffany Cromwell, Chloé Dygert, Rosa Klöser and Maria Martins – have been in the race before, with Martins appearing four times and Consonni all five years.
Dygert had the fewest race days in the group, but felt she still had great shape to help the team: “As important as it is to be in a good position for this race, it ultimately comes down to fitness. I’m hoping I have enough fitness built up to run a good race.”
Bäckstedt proved across her Spring Classics campaign in Belgium that she has form as well. And while she is the youngest on her team, she noted that experience counted more than age.
“I think age doesn’t matter. It’s more about experience and strengths for particular races. I’m supported by my teammates, just as I support them in other races. We…
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