Dygert doubles with junior women's road race rainbows

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After crushing the competition in the individual time trial, the USA's Chloe Dygert once again dismantled the peloton to win her second rainbow jersey in the junior women's road race in Richmond on Friday. Emma White gave the USA its second 1-2 finish, soloing away from the chasing group for silver over Agnieszka Skalniak (Poland).

Dygert was part of a four-woman breakaway that escaped halfway through the race, together with compatriot White, Juliette Labous (France) and Skalniak.

The quartet quickly distanced itself from the peloton, leading by 49 seconds midway through lap three. But then Dygert poured on her power in the hilly final half of lap three to leave her companions behind, and to the thrill of the home crowd she came solo across for the bell with 20 seconds on the chasing trio.

"When I was working with the group of four we were taking pulls and I felt pretty strong," she said. "I wasn't really tired. I knew I had the legs and when I did go off that really wasn't the plan, but I juts kind of looked back and had a little gap. So I thought, 'OK, let's just keep going.'"

Considering her margin of victory in the time trial was more than a minute, the 16km lap proved no major obstacle, and the Brownsburg, Indiana, native had ample time to celebrate as she crossed the line for the gold medal, 1:23 ahead of White.

The 18-year-old double Worlds winner didn't salute her victory, however, choosing instead to ride almost emotionlessly across the line. She said later that her subdued attitude was a combination of prudence and modesty.

"I didn't want to crash," she said. "I don't know, I just don't think there should be anything more than celebrating with your team. I was just honoured to be on the USA team and do it for the USA."

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