Chloé Dygert teased riders and spectators alike with flashes of her phenomenal power in the previous days of racing, but today, the American dual-disciplinary superstar put it all on display in the third and final stage of the Tour Down Under.

After a superb lead-out into the final 300 metres from Neve Bradbury, combined with key assistance from Alice Towers in the preceding two kilometres, Dygert rocketed away the peloton and blasted effortlessly up the final leg-sapping drag, distancing any possible challengers with every stomp on the pedals.

Dygert crossed the finish line victorious for the first time in a road race since her triumph at the USA National Road Championships in June 2023. She immediately credited her teammates for their belief, hard work, and flawless execution of the team strategy.

“Heading into the stage, we wanted to make it as hard as possible, but honestly, there wasn’t really much action going on during the whole race. It was a bit frustrating because there were so many riders still in the peloton the whole time. Going into the final lap, that’s when we wanted to have the numbers, and that’s when we wanted to make it tough, so everybody put an effort into this win. Having Alice and Neve there for that final little bit before my launch, it was exactly the plan, and I’m really happy to pull off one of our goals here, to achieve a victory.”

While the first three laps of today’s 20 kilometre Stirling circuit were ridden at a high pace, much of the aggression came from the hotly contested Queen of the Mountain and sprint points, rather than any real strategic play. A solo breakaway rider kept things from escalating for much of the middle part of the stage, with the team quick to cover any spontaneous digs or throwaway attacks.

As the laps ticked down and the peloton regrouped, the intensity went up, and the attacks became more deliberate and determined.

Along with Lidl-Trek, who appeared to share similar ambitions of creating an attritional race, Tiffany Cromwell and Maike van der Duin went into combat mode during the final lap, firing off the front and forcing others teams to chase and expend resources.

Maike put in a brilliant dig to forge ahead solo, leading until the final 10 kilometres with a maximum advantage of 30 seconds. As the race approached the final seven kilometres of gradual climbing toward the finish, other teams took control of the pace, pushing the race toward a bunch sprint.

Neve initiated a strong tempo with two kilometres to go, and after a brief lull in pace, Alice took over within the final kilometre. Neve then returned to the front for one last, crucial pull, setting Chloé up perfectly for her spectacular launch. The enormous wattage surging through her trademark pink shoes evident for all to see.

Dygert reflected on the tension of these final moments:

“It’s funny because I was really jittery going into the final kilometre, I’m like, why aren’t we going faster? Why aren’t we going faster? And I was getting a little nervous. I was thinking to myself, everybody’s recovering right now and I’m gonna get passed, so I’m really, really happy that I stayed patient, calm and attacked when I did, because it was just planned perfectly.”

The win is as much a personal triumph as it is a public one for Dygert, who faced significant challenges in unlocking her peak performance and meeting her own sky-high standards in 2024. Despite claiming an Olympic gold in the team pursuit, a bronze medal in the Olympic time trial, and two medals at the Zurich UCI Road World Championships, she struggled to reach the level she had set for herself.

“This victory has boosted my confidence in many ways because I know now that I’m not playing catch up. I feel like I’m at the level that I should be at this point in the season. It’s still early, but it’s where I should be after not having any recent injuries. Going into the spring, it’s only going to get better and better. I won’t be playing catch-up, so I won’t be risking injury because I don’t need to push the limits. Now, I’m right where everybody else is, at the same percentage level. It’s just safer for me physically, that I’m not going to be hurting myself by trying to make up for lost time.”

With her Australian training camp already deemed a success, Chloé is now focused on the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in two weeks’ time, a key target as she progresses toward peak form for her major goals this spring.

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