Bäckstedt, along with the rest of the EF team, will primarily be using the new Cannondale SuperSix Evo 4 this season. We spotted the bike under both the men's and women's EF squads earlier in the season, and were able to bring you a first ride review of the all round racer. It's very much in the same vein as the outgoing SuperSix, but with some improvements to weight and the aerodynamic package.
As ever, certain componentry choices are dependant on the race in question and subject to change, but here, for the start of the Classics season, there's nothing too out of the ordinary, save for her opting for tubular wheels rather than tubeless for a bit of extra safety over the cobbles.
What size is Zoe Bäckstedt's bike
At 5ft 9in tall, Bäckstedt rides a size 54. Unlike on some pro bikes we've seen, like on Tom Pidcock's bike, there don't seem to have been any great lengths taken to accommodate a particular frame size. No crazy long or short stem, and the saddle is relatively central on the rails.
Zoe Bäckstedt's Cannondale SuperSix Evo 4: Specifications
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Frame
Cannondale SuperSix Evo 4 Hi-Mod
Groupset
Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 9250 12-speed
Brakes
Shimano Dura-Ace 9270 hydraulic disc
Wheelset
Vision Metron 40 SL Tubular
Tyres
Vittoria Corsa Control G2.0 28mm
Cockpit
Cannondale Conceal Stem & Vision Metron 4D bars
Chainset
FSA K-Force Team
Power meter
4iiii
Pedals
Wahoo Speedplay
Saddle
Prologo Dimension I 43
Bottle cages
Arundel Grypto
Bar tape
Prologo Onetouch
Computer Mount
Wahoo
While the New SuperSix Evo is the top all-around race bike in Cannondale's lineup, it is itself split into three tiers. The 'Carbon', the 'Hi-Mod', and the 'LAB71', in ascending order of bling, each being slightly lighter and stiffer than the last thanks to differences in carbon, resin, and layup. The giant "LAB71" painted on the seat tube may well lead you to believe this is the top-spec frame, but the UCI sticker on the down tube reveals that it is in fact the second-tier Hi-Mod frameset, perhaps due to supply issues of the very top end frames.
The consumer spec model does ship with a single-piece bar-stem combo, but the team component sponsor, Vision, here provides its Metron 4D aero handlebar. The hoses are routed through wing-shaped bars and under the Cannondale Conceal Stem, before diving inside the head tube of the frame for their internal journey.
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The Vision bars are 400mm wide, and feature exit holes at the rear of the winged uppers to allow for external cable routing, and the rubber bungs on the upper surface near the stem are to directly mount a set of time trial extensions should that ever be required.
The wheels here are also from Vision, a set of Metron 40s, but interestingly they're tubulars with tyres glued directly on, rather than tubeless, which is what we're told the team will use for non-cobbled races. This is just for a bit of extra security over the rough ground, as riding a flat tubular is more feasible than with tubeless or inner tube-based systems. The tyres, too, seem to be fitted with more of an eye on grip rather than out-and-out speed; the Vittoria Corsa Control tyres have a slightly more defined tread and robust casing than the new Corsa Pro, which should aid traction and help prevent flats.
The drivetrain is a complete Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 setup, save for the chainset, which takes the form of the feathery FSA K-Force Team. A set of 52/36 chainrings take care of power transfer, along with a Shimano M8100 chain. The 'M' denotes that it's for mountain, rather than 'R' for road. The two are cross-compatible, but this may be a chain retention choice, or again simply a supply issue.
Power measurement, while not visible in our images - blame our esteemed Tech Editor Josh for that - comes courtesy of 4iiii. Her computer, a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt, is mounted to a Roam mount, which the team mechanic has deftly chopped the front off of to allow it to take both models of computer. Remember: If it doesn't fit; yes it does!
The finishing touches are a Prologo Dimension saddle, the same as seen on Tadej Pogacar's bike, and Prologo bar tape. Speedplay pedals take care of the third contact point.
The "LAB71" livery denotes the highest tier, lightest frameset that Cannondale offers... (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
...but the UCI sticker reveals this is in face the second tier "Hi-Mod" frameset (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The Vision Metron wheels are tubular, meaning the tyres are physically glued on. This helps the rider in the event of a flat, where they can be ridden for a time in better control than other systems (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The Vittoria Corsa Control tyres sacrifice a bit of speed for more grip and a slightly greater puncture resistance (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The Vision Metron bars are 400mm wide, and house the brake hoses and cables internally (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The deep profile aids aerodynamics. The rubber bungs cover mounts for clip on aero bars, but in the event of a time trial Bäckstedt would almost certainly opt for a TT bike (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Out front of the bars, her Wahoo Elemnt Bolt is mounted to a modified Roam computer mount; basically the front of it has been chopped off to allow it to accommodate both Wahoo computer models (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
These exit ports in the rear are another option for cable/hose management, but not needed here as the hoses go under the stem (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The Team Edition K-Force chainset is certainly spindly, and has no built in power meter (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
A threaded BSA bottom bracket marks a departure from the previous generation of the SuperSix Evo (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
An Ultegra cassette - not Dura-Ace - is used at the rear. Again, we're not sure if this is budget- or supply-related (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
The nickname was created by one of her team mechanics. She liked it, so he had stickers printed up. I imagine Zoe is humming the famous theme tune to herself every race (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
A 3D-printed race number holder from K3 Pro Racing mounts her number to the seat post (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
We're not sure what the "90" pertains to, but we presume it's 90 grams of carbohydrates; the commonly-accepted limit of gut absorbtion (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
Elsewhere there are more mechanic notes to be found. Here the wheels are labeled for the rider so the mechanics can easily find them in the workshop, or on the road when a quick swap is needed (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
History
Bäckstedt has only been in the WorldTour since 2022, so think of this as the start of what could well be an illustrious "History" section. Two seasons in, and two iterations of the Cannondale SuperSix Evo so far, but we expect to see a lot more in the coming years from the daughter of Magnus Bäckstedt; the 2004 Paris-Roubaix winner.
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At a glance
Year
Team
Main bike
2023
EV Education-Tibco-SVB
Cannondale SuperSix Evo 4
2022
EV Education-Tibco-SVB
Cannondale SuperSix Evo 3
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Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. There are very few types of cycling he's not dabbled in, and he has a particular affection for older bikes and long lasting components. Road riding was his first love, before graduating to racing CX in Yorkshire. He's been touring on a vintage tandem all the way through to fixed gear gravel riding and MTB too. When he's not out riding one of his many bikes he can usually be found in the garage tinkering with another of them, or getting obsessive about tyres. Also, as he doesn't use Zwift, he's our go-to guy for bad weather testing... bless him.
Rides: Custom Zetland Audax, Bowman Palace:R, Peugeot Grand Tourisme Tandem, Falcon Explorer Tracklocross, Fairlight Secan & Strael
