Zoe Backstedt: “My helmet saved my life,” says a Welsh cyclist

The Backstedt last name carries a lot of weight in cycling circles.

Her father Magnus won the Paris-Roubaix and a stage of the Tour de France in 1998, while her mother Megan won the British road race national title and competed for Wales at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpa the same year.

Both Zoe and Elinor followed suit and began forging their careers in the professional ranks.

Backstedt says she draws a lot of inspiration from her time at Cardiff’s Mindy Flyers, a cycling club with some very famous alumni.

“Eleanor Parker was only a few years older than my sister, so when I was looking at cycling as a career, she would get into races and I watched her grow and progress in the sport.

“It’s a great thing to see, coming from the same club as you, riding in circles around the Mindy Velodrome, and saying ‘yeah, if you can do it, I can do that, maybe I can follow those steps’.”

“We had a similar path in cycling and then you want to do it too.”

Olympic gold medalist and Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas also began his career at the famous track, which first opened in 1951 before hosting the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

“He’s progressed from Mindy to the men’s world tour, so it’s a bit different, but you’re still coming from the same place, doing the same sessions on a Tuesday night,” she added.

Backstedt hopes she can also provide inspiration to the next generation coming through the club.

“To see all the youngsters that come through this sport and see if you can inspire them.

“I think even on the roads here in Spain, I saw some people from Mendi riding horses.

“You wave to them on the bike and say, ‘Yes, you could be on my team in a few years, or join one of the men’s teams,’ and that’s a very cool thing to see.”