Welsh cycling prospect Zoe Backstedt notched up another hugely impressive display at the Troyes Cyclocross International in France.

The 16-year-old finished fifth in the elite women’s race – even though she is still in her first year in the junior women’s ranks.

Pontyclun-based Backstedt came home one min 19 secs down on France’s Lauriane Duraffourg, who is more than two years her senior.

https://twitter.com/WelshCycling/status/1345372339932954624

Duraffourg clocked 41 mins 46 secs to lead home a quartet of local riders before Backstedt crossed the line.

Backstedt – who celebrated her 16th birthday last September by signing for top Belgian Cyclocross team Tormans Acrog – won the opening UCI World Cup junior women’s race in the Czech Republic in November with a stunning victory.

But her World Cup campaign has been disrupted since with the two junior women’s races scheduled for Belgium on December 20 and 27 cancelled due to COVID-19.