US cyclist Dygert has surgery following crash at road worlds

By Associated Press 26 September 2020, 12:00AM

BOLOGNA, Italy (AP) — American cyclist Chloé Dygert is expected to make a full recovery after undergoing surgery on her left leg following a crash at the road cycling world championships Thursday.

“I'll be back,” Dygert said in a tweet Friday.

Dygert was the favorite to defend her title in the time trial and led by nearly half a minute at the intermediate checkpoint before losing control on a descent and crashing over a roadside barrier.

The 23-year-old Dygert described her reaction and posted a picture of her injuries, including a severe laceration to her left leg, on Twitter.

She wrote: “I remember thinking what if I can get my bike can I still win? The first thing I remember was asking @JimMiller_time (USA Cycling chief of sports performance Jim Miller) if I was done.. Then I looked down and saw my leg.

“Thank you for all the well wishes. I’ll be back.”

Dygert was treated roadside by medical staff before being taken by ambulance to a hospital in Bologna, where she had surgery.

“We are relieved that this crash was not worse than what it could have been," Miller said. “While this crash is distressing, Chloé is young and a fighter.”

“With Chloé’s determination, we know she will be back riding before we know it. For now, we want her to focus on healing," he said.

USA Cycling said in a statement that Dygert is expected to make a full recovery and her coach is confident she will return in even better form.

“Chloé is a gifted athlete. She’s had accidents in the past and returned stronger than ever,” Kristin Armstrong said. “I have no doubt that this will be the case again.”

Dutch rider Anna van der Breggen, who was runner-up to Dygert last year, won the time trial.

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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

By Associated Press 26 September 2020, 12:00AM

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