Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-SRAM) admitted that her first appearance at a climbing-heavy Tour de France Femmes would be 'brutal', but her dream of earning a team selection had been accomplished. That was just the beginning of a long checklist that included service as a support rider for 2024 Tour champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and flashing the blue and red bands on her Canyon-SRAM jersey as dual British road champion.
The main marker for the nine days was the stage 4 individual time trial. On Tuesday she posted the fourth-best time on the 21km route into Dijon, won by ITT elite world champion Marlen Reusser (Movistar). Though one step off a WorldTour stage podium would make most 21-year-olds radiate joy, Bäckstedt's initial reaction was disappointment.
