British allrounder Elynor Bäckstedt has joined Lidl-Trek teammates Elisa Longo Borghini and Brodie Champman in moving across to UAE ADQ, with the 22-year-old signing a three-year deal.
Having turned pro very young with Trek-Segafredo in 2020 after a successful junior career, Bäckstedt has spent much of the last four years working as a loyal domestique, without enjoying the same success she did in the younger category as a junior Gent-Wevelgem winner.
Nonetheless, she's proved valuable to the likes of Longo Borghini in chasing wins for the past five seasons, and it's the presence of two former teammates jumping over to the Emirati squad that has persuaded her to follow suit.
"I’ve been teammates with Elisa for five years, and Brodie for two. I get along with them and we work super well together. That was certainly a factor in the move across to UAE Team ADQ because they’re amazing teammates but I’m looking forward to getting to know all the riders," Bäckstedt said in a press release.
"I can’t wait to help Elisa and the other riders but I’m also excited about the idea of sitting down with the coaches and setting new goals for myself. I want to improve my TT a bit more because that’s been on the backburner for the last couple of years and I’m excited to see what this move can bring out of me."
Elynor is the elder of the Bäckstedt sisters, with 20-year-old Zoe riding for Canyon-SRAM in the Women's WorldTour, with the pair coming from strong cycling pedigree as the daughters of 2004 Paris-Roubaix winner Magnus Bäckstedt and 1998 British national champion Megan Bäckstedt (neé Hughes).
Without a professional victory yet in her career, despite her wealth of experience at a young age, and perhaps feeling some stagnation in her growth, Bäckstedt felt like it was about time to depart Lidl-Trek.
"Sometimes you just need a new challenge and this looks like a great one. It felt like it was the right time for a change," she said.
"That opened up conversations, and in the end, the chance to race for UAE Team ADQ. It was about trying to find a team where I felt I could excel in what I can do and UAE Team ADQ felt like an amazing opportunity.
“I’d like to get stuck in at the front of more races and try and take a win because it has been a while since that happened to me. I had a tough start to the sport when moving up through juniors, so I missed a couple of years in that sense. I’ve developed a lot since then but I still feel like I have a lot more in me, so I’d love to take a win next year."
