Zoe Bäckstedt extends Canyon/SRAM contract after strong spring campaign

5th place at Flanders, 12th at Roubaix. Now Zoe Bäckstedt adds a 2 to her recent run of impressive numbers. 2 more years to her contract at CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto, that is. The news was announced in a light-hearted Instagram video showing the 21-year-old Brit building the number 2028 out of Lego. The supporting press release is titled "Bäckstedt brilliance for two more years".

“I’m really excited to be extending my contract with CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto and to be staying for another two years,” said Bäckstedt on the team website. “Like any big decision, I took time to work out what the next step was, but ultimately, I know that this is the right place for me at this stage in my career."

After a somewhat slow start to the spring, Bäckstedt recorded some career best results on the cobbles in April. 4th at Dwars Door Vlaanderen was her best ever WorldTour finish, but it was quickly eclipsed by a 5th place at the Tour of Flanders a few days later.

At Belgium's biggest race she was narrowly beaten in a sprint by two time winner Lotte Kopecky. "I had absolutely no expectations given that it’s the second time I’ve ever raced it, but the first proper time where I’ve been in the condition to actually race at the front. So yeah, fifth is amazing. I had some belief after Wednesday’s race, but to pull this off, I’m really happy.”

From the highs of Flanders, a tougher day was had at Paris-Roubaix Femmes. “It was just brutal. Maybe not my best day on the bike in the end, but that’s also part of Paris-Roubaix," she said.

After a puncture and chase back on, Bäckstedt found herself in the second group on the road. "I just didn’t have it in me to follow the group that went. But yeah, we’ll come back next year and try again."

Bäckstedt's road program for the remainder of the 2026 season is unknown at this point. But in light of her recent results, this contract extension will likely ensure many more trips to the cobbled classics in the coming years.

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Bäckstedt's ambitions do not stop on the road. She is a talented Cyclocross rider recording 8 top 10 finishes at the Elite level in the 2025/2026 season. "I also really appreciate that the team supports my ambitions in both road and cyclo-cross", she said.

"The team is professional but also feels like a second family, which suits my personality and allows me to be me. Of course, it’s the people that matter, and both riders and staff really make this team. I love working with them and am excited about what we can achieve next,” she concluded.