British champion Backstedt eyes Tour de France debut

Zoe Backstedt is targeting a Tour de France Femmes debut after an "incredible" double title-winning week at the British National Road Championships.

First the 21-year-old rider from south Wales successfully defended her elite time-trial crown with a dominant win on Thursday.

Then, on Sunday, the multiple world junior champion won her first British road race title with an equally emphatic victory in Aberystwyth.

Backstedt returns to her European base this week, with sights on the Tour de France Femmes' Grand Depart in Lausanne, Switzerland, on 1 August.

"The next one for me is going to be a race in Belgium," Backstedt told the BBC's Radio Wales Breakfast programme.

"Then hopefully, as long as everything goes well, I'm hoping to be selected for the Tour de France as well this year.

"It would be incredible. It's giving me goosebumps already to think about it."

Her double success on home roads in west Wales capped a memorable 10 days for Backstedt, who had won a sprint stage at the Tour de Suisse Femmes the previous week - her ninth professional victory.

The Canyon-Sram rider's 15.9 mile (25.6km) time-trial victory in Ceredigion was delivered in sweltering conditions in excess of 30C, with Backstedt noting afterwards, "It was super hard, the heat made it 10 times harder than I think I expected it to be".

Thankfully, by Sunday's 79.5 mile (128km) road race, temperatures had dropped, as she left a chasing group to catch and pass early leader Josie Knight before soloing the final 8.6 miles (14km) to win by almost two minutes.

"It was brutal," said Backstedt.

"I mean, honestly, it was a blessing in disguise that the weather was a little bit cooler.

"I have to say I was grateful for some true Welsh weather, a little bit of rain in the morning.

"I had a great day on the bike, it was really fun. It's been an incredible week I have to say."

If Backstedt does get her wish in a little over a month's time, she will not be the first member of her family to ride a Tour de France.

Father Magnus rode cycling's most prestigious Grand Tour seven times between 1998 and 2008 - winning a stage on his own Le Tour debut - so it is no surprise to see both his daughters forging successful careers on two wheels.

"Well, my parents were always into cycling," said Backstedt, whose older sister Elynor is a professional with UAE Team ADQ.

"My mum was also British road race champion when she was racing still, it really runs in the family to be a cyclist.

"We always had the choice to go into different sports but everything just led towards cycling and, in the end, I'm so happy that I pursued it.

"I love this sport sometimes - I mean, don't get me wrong, sometimes it's awful - but sometimes these days, like yesterday, just make it all worth it."