Dygert completes rare double at World Road Cycling Championships

The United States' Chloe Dygert became the third woman to win both the junior women's time trial and road race titles ©Getty Images

Home star Chloe Dygert became only the third cyclist to win both the junior women’s time trial and road race events at the Road World Championships, while France’s Kevin Ledanois claimed the men’s under 23 road race title in Richmond, United States.

Dygert had produced a stunning display in the time trial earlier in the week to win by over a minute and she maintained that level of superiority over the 65 kilometres road race course.

The American had formed part of a four rider breakaway consisting of her compatriot Emma White, Poland’s Agnieszka Skalniak and France’s Juliette Labous, but with just a lap of the circuit remaining Dygert opted to attack her companions and attempt to go solo to the finish.

Due to her time trial expertise it was always likely that the breakaway would struggle to regain contact with the American and Dygert continued to build her advantage in the closing kilometres of the race, before crossing the line in 1hour 42min 16sec.

She becomes the first woman to complete the junior time trial and road race double since Britain’s Nicole Cooke in 2001, while Canada’s Genevieve Jeanson also achieved the feat in 1999.

The top two positions would remain unchanged from the time trial as White launched her own attack in the final stages of the race to end 1:23 behind the winner to secure her second silver medal of the week.

Skalniak finished a further five seconds adrift to take bronze.

The men's Under 23 road race saw the cyclists complete a 162km course ©Getty Images

“There was a point where I got a small gap, looked back, and decided to see what happened if I kept going,” Dygert said afterwards.

“I felt pretty strong, I wasn’t tired and I knew I had the legs.

"I really wanted us to podium, going both races one-two is awesome.

''I couldn't be happier."

While the victor came from the breakaway in the junior women’s event a similar move in the men’s under 23 race proved unsuccessful as a five-man move involving Ireland’s Eddie Dunbar, Chile’s Jose Luis Rodriguez, Italy’s Davide Martinelli, Kazakhstan’s Oleg Zemlyakov and Germany’s Maximilian Schachmann fell apart with 20km remaining.

Denmark’s Soren Kragh Andresen was next to try his hand at launching a bid for victory as the peloton reached the closing stages of the 162km route, but his effort was also foiled ahead of two testing cobbled ascents.

The climbs were made more difficult due to rain which caused several riders to crash, resulting in a split in the peloton with Italian and French riders dominating the head of the race, as the final kilometres approached.

Ledanois sprung clear of the group with two kilometres to the finish and despite the best efforts of the chasing pack the Frenchman held on to claim a narrow victory, crossing in a time of 3:54:45.

Italy’s Simone Consonni was awarded the same time as the winner to take the silver medal, while France’s Anthony Turgis finished two seconds behind to complete the podium positions.