Chloe Dygert comes back from leg injury to win women's US time trial title

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Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM) dominated the women’s time trial on Thursday at the USA Cycling Pro Road Championships to take the victory in her first competition since recovering from a crash at the World Championships in Imola last fall. 

“It’s a great step forward to win in my new Canyon-SRAM team colors. My coaches, my team and I will now go right back to work and focus on preparations towards Tokyo and the road season ahead. I'm so honored to have raced here in Knoxville and so proud to wear this national championship jersey,” Dygert told Cyclingnews after celebrating the national title today.

Three-time and defending time trial champion Amber Neben (Cogeas Mettler Look) finished 27 seconds back for the silver, while Leah Thomas (Movistar Team) took third in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. 

All three women on the podium have been selected to represent the US at the Tokyo Olympic Games. 

Unlike 2019, no women were able to break the 30-minute mark for the 23.2km course, as Dygert won in a time of 30:11, with Neben covering the course in 30:38 and Thomas in 31:01.

“The course ran a little slower today, for whatever reason. Secondly, I was flat today,” Neben told Cyclingnews at the finish. 

“This was a tough race with timing for the Olympic Games. To be on-form here and again then again Olympics, for me and my preparation, isn’t ideal. I actually just came off a really big 10-day training block where we were able to get 1,000 miles in, so huge volume. For me, honestly, today, it was the flattest [day] I’ve ever had, but at the same time I rode hard. Chloe was on point today, so huge congrats to her.”

The results of the top four riders was a duplication of the 2019 race, this go around Dygert unseating Neben. Taylor Wiles (Trek-Segafredo) repeated with a time of 31:10 for fourth. 

Kira Payer (CCB BikeReg) finished in 34:22 and took the U23 crown.  

How it unfolded

Under bright blue skies and calm conditions 23 women took on two laps of the 23.2km time trial course along the shores of Melton Hill Reservoir, nestled between ridges of the Great Smoky Mountains just west of Knoxville. 

Veronica Ewers of Fount Cycling Guild was not only the first rider on course, but also posted 15:58 on the initial lap to sett the only intermediate time under the 16-minute in the first wave of riders. In her wake with the next top intermediate times were Lauren De Crescenzo (Cinch Elite) at 16:07 and Emily Newsom (TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank) at 16:18.

After Ewers finished with the time to beat at 32:42, De Crescenzo took the virtual hot seat at five seconds faster until Newsom crossed the line next in 32:28.

Newsom’s time held through the second wave of riders on courses. Halfway through the second wave former time trial World Champion Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM) was a full minute faster at the intermediate time check, than Ewers, heading out on a second lap with a leading time of 15:01.

No one would be able to ride faster than Dygert, who showed top form in her comeback race. Neban’s midway pace was clocked at 15:18, then Leah Thomas in 15:21. Tayler Wiles (Trek-Segafredo) was fourth mid-way through the race, 31 seconds slower than Dygert.

Neben then lost another 10 seconds on the final lap and could not take her fourth consecutive time trial title. 

In 2019, Dygert finished 36 seconds behind Neben for the silver. Both will race again on Sunday in the road race.