Three years after a horror crash almost ended her career, Chloe Dygert of the United States won the women's time trial at the cycling world championships on Thursday.
Dygert was world champion in 2019 but a frightening accident at the 2020 worlds in Italy, where she careered over a roadside barrier, led to several bouts of surgery on her leg.
Dygert showed a week ago her form was back by winning a track cycling gold in the individual pursuit at the velodrome in Glasgow and qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Setting a pulsating early time on Thursday, the American, who has also undergone heart surgery and overcome a bout of the Epstein Barr virus, took the title five seconds ahead of Grace Brown of Australia with Austria's Christina Schweinberger in third, 1min 12sec off the pace.
"This title is truly special," said the 26-year-old who was sick with a respiratory complaint earlier this week.
"Not just for me, for everybody behind me: the team, USA Cycling, my family, my personal team, this means a lot for us. I'm really thankful," she said.
"I spent the last four days praying to God to be OK today," she said after her win.
Dygert's blistering pace of 46min 59sec on the 36.2km course that culminated with a steep climb to the imposing Stirling Castle stunned the field with only Brown getting anywhere near the champion.
"If the race had been yesterday I'm not sure I'd have started," said the champion.
Pre-race favourite Marlen Reusser, a faller in the mixed relay time trial, abandoned the race half way through while 2022 champion Ellen van Dijk was absent due to her pregnancy.
With 86 riders going down the ramp at 75-second intervals Arefa Amini of Afghanistan was first to start and ended 21min 49sec slower than the winner.
Her compatriot Fariba Hashimi, however, was less than ten minutes off the pace in 66th place.
Dygert embarked way before the other main contenders and faced a long wait before she was crowned champion.
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