Zoe Bäckstedt Wins Baloise Ladies Tour as Youngest Champion

Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) made history as the youngest ever winner of the Baloise Ladies Tour, dominating the race with multiple stage victories, including two wins on Saturday—a road stage and an individual time trial. Bäckstedt initially claimed the leader's jersey with a prologue win, briefly lost it on stage 1, but regained and extended her lead after her stage 3 and 4 triumphs. Her consistent performance, including holding off world-class sprinters and tactical breakaways, secured a 12-second overall victory over Ellen van Dijk, with Marthe Goossens finishing third. The final stage was marked by a dramatic crash in the sprint finish, but Bäckstedt's team controlled the race to maintain her lead. In addition to the general classification, she also topped the youth and points classifications. Bäckstedt, already a two-time under-23 cyclo-cross world champion, described the week as both challenging and enjoyable, emphasizing valuable learning experiences and teamwork.