Great Britain\u2019s Zoe B\u00e4ckstedt took another rainbow jersey for her collection in the morning, getting the better of Vikt\u00f3ria Chlado\u0148ov\u00e1 of Slovakia and Italian Federica Venturelli in the Women Under 23 ITT at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sweden\u2019s Jakob S\u00f6derqvist ruled the Men Under 23 event, claiming his first rainbow jersey after finishing second to Spain\u2019s Ivan Romeo last year in Zurich, Switzerland. New Zealand\u2019s Nate Pringle (2nd, +1:03.96) and France\u2019s Maxime Decomble (+1:04.13) stood with him on the podium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI feel I coped with the pressure okay,\u201d B\u00e4ckstedt observed after she ruled the Women Under 23 ITT in dominant fashion. A couple of days before her 21st birthday, the British powerhouse took her ninth rainbow jersey across different disciplines (track, cyclo-cross, road) and age categories (Junior, Under 23 and also as part of Team GB\u2019s mixed relay at the UCI Cyclo-cross Worlds).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt means a lot to be able to do it in both categories,\u201d said B\u00e4ckstedt, who had ruled the Junior ITT in 2022. \u201cHopefully next time I can try out for the Elites!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her rivals couldn\u2019t resist the Welsh tornado, who started last and recorded the quickest time at every checkpoint, eventually covering the 22.6 kilometres (with an elevation of 350 metres) in 30:56.16. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThose two climbs that we had to do, they just sap your legs completely,\u201d B\u00e4ckstedt described. \u201cI was up on the first time check by only 16 seconds and I thought I could lose that on the last climb but I just kept pushing as hard as I could on that section in between the two climbs and then on the last part I was chasing the rider in front of me and hoping to catch before the finish.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Felicity Wilson-Haffenden was her closest rival after 10.6km (+17\u2019\u2019), and after 18km (+35\u2019\u2019), but the Australian faded in the last section, clocking the fourth best time (+2:21.75). Chlado\u0148ov\u00e1, 18 years old, had a strong finish to take silver, 1:50.85 behind B\u00e4ckstedt \u2013 a difference of almost 2.5km\/h in their average speeds (43.832km\/h vs 41.362km\/h). Federica Venturelli rounded out the podium (+2:11.58).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No fewer than 47 riders, representing 33 nations, started the Women Under 23 ITT, held separately from the Elite event for the first time in UCI Worlds\u2019 history, highlighting once again the exceptional participation for the first UCI Road World Championships held in Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n