Many were wondering why American Chloe Dygert from Canyon//SRAM had a relatively disappointing time trial in the first stage of the Simac Ladies Tour. She finished 10th, which is low for the two-time world champion. Turns out, she was racing with a broken nose.
Although she finished the TT, she did not start the second stage. Her team announced that Dygert broke her nose before the opening time trial and has left the race to recover properly. According to posts on X, Dygert sustained the fracture after walking into a door.
Recovering from the horrific crash
The American has had some bad luck in recent years, notably at the 2020 UCI Road World Championships in Imola, Italy. Leading the women’s time trial, she lost control on a downhill, crashing into a guardrail. The impact caused a severe leg injury, with her quadriceps tendon torn and muscles exposed. The crash was so serious that there were concerns about whether she could ever return to elite competition.
Yikes! Watch Chloe Dygert’s super-close save during the TdFF
Dygert underwent multiple surgeries, including reconstructive surgery on her quadriceps tendon, and faced a long recovery. Despite the challenges, she made a remarkable comeback in 2021, though her path to full recovery has been slow, and she’s faced further injury setbacks.
She recently took silver at the 2024 UCI road worlds, as well as bronze in the time trial.
It’s been a rough few days for her team. Her withdrawal adds to the non-starts of Maike van der Duin and Soraya Paladin, both of whom didn’t feel well enough to start. Canyon//SRAM is now left with just two riders. It’s a tough blow for Zoë Bäckstedt, who won the opening time trial. She now has to defend her leader’s jersey with only Alex Morrice as her teammate in the race.
Stage 2 was 154.8 km from Coevorden to Assen. Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime) took the win over Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek). Zoë Bäckstedt finished 18th, three seconds behind but kept the lead. Ava Holgren of Lidl-Trek, in her first Women’s WorldTour event, finished 46th. In the opening TT, the 19-year-old took a solid 33rd.
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