Even two-time individual time trial world champion Chloe Dygert (Canyon SRAM) couldn't do enough to stop Demi Vollering (SD Works Pro Time) from winning the sprint 6.3km timed race in Rotterdam on Stage 3 of the Tour de France Femme.
After a shaky season marred by crashes, injuries and illness, Dygert surprisingly donned the rainbow stripes for the first time this season in a seven and a half minute race. She set the fastest time on record at the intermediate time check just past the Erasmus Bridge and then beat Vollering by five seconds in the 2.4km to the finish to take the stage win.
“It just wasn't a good day,” Dygert said, but credited his strength to the Dutch overall winning star after Forering averaged 50.95kph on the second stage of a hectic double race day.
“I'm really disappointed that I didn't come out on top, but I'm grateful to be here. This is my first Tour, so I feel really blessed. This is God's plan and I just have faith in it,” Dygert told reporters, including CyclingNews, while warming up on the Canyon SRAM team bus.
“It was very fast and very bumpy. Normally I think the short course suits me but I was in a bad mood today so that's what happened.
“They (SD Worx) had a good day today too. Big thumbs up to Demi (Vollering) because she's really strong.”
After getting over the disappointment of not winning the Tour's only time trial stage, Dygert arrived on the team bus for a long hug and debrief with Canyon-SRAM team principal Ronnie Laucke before quickly turning his focus to the remainder of the Tour and the bigger goal of the upcoming ITT World Championships in Zurich on September 22.
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“Ronnie has so much experience in the sport and he is the main reason why I chose Canyon SRAM,” Dygert said.
“Sometimes riders just need to shut up and listen. I'm very grateful for the wise words Ronnie said and I'm going to take them on board and just keep going and finish the Tour and move towards my main goal of the season.”
“I'm just here to do my best and compete at the World Championships. I'm looking forward to the rest of the week and trying to get as fit as I can.”
Dygert also confirmed that the remaining five stages will be focused on supporting Germany's overall favourites Kasia Nieuviadma and Neve Bradbury, who were 30 and 51 seconds behind leader Forering at the time trial and still have some work to do.
“We will take it day by day, but obviously our target this week is Kasia and Neve so we will do everything we can to get them across the line first,” she said, echoing Niewiadoma's comment earlier this week that Canyon is aiming for the yellow jersey rather than settling for a podium finish like in the past two Olympics.
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