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.”
Leave a Reply