Elynor Backstedt

Elynor Bäckstedt (Lidl-Trek) is a young British rider who joined the WorldTour in 2020, straight out of the junior ranks. A talented junior racer, with wins including the junior Gent-Wevelgem, Bäckstedt attracted the attention of Trek-Segafredo to secure her first WorldTour contract at 18. Her debut season was hampered by a broken leg she sustained during the break from racing during the pandemic, but she returned to racing in 2021.

With only three uninterrupted professional seasons under her belt, Bäckstedt is still developing into what kind of rider she will be. In the absence of Ellen van Dijk in 2023, the 21-year-old took on a Van Dijk-type role at Lidl-Trek, often to be seen policing things at the front of the peloton and putting in big turns to bring back breaks.

A tall and powerful rider, Bäckstedt has the potential to follow in the footsteps of her father Magnus and become an all-round Classics specialist.