Dygert delivers home success in junior women's time trial at World Road Cycling Championships

Chloe Dygert finished over a minute clear of her nearest challenger to win the women's junior event ©Getty Images

Chloe Dygert delivered home success on the second day of the International Cycling Union (UCI) Road World Championships as the American triumphed in the junior women’s time trial, while Denmark’s Mads Wurtz Schmidt earned the men’s under-23 honours in Richmond.

Dygert was the ninth starter of the 37-woman field and the 18-year-old produced a blistering performance around the 15 kilometres course as she looked to set an unreachable target for her rivals to ensure a place on the podium.

Having crossed the line 1min 45sec faster than the previous best time, set by Canada’s Gillian Ellsay, the American was clearly a contender for the title with her time of 20:18.47 proving difficult for the remaining contenders to get close to.

Her team-mate Emma White would be the closest to get to Dygert’s time having been 12 seconds adrift at the intermediate time check but her challenge fell away and left her forced to settle for silver in a time of 21:24.00.

“This course was exactly what I was looking for, it suited me well,” Dygert said afterwards.

“It’s my first World Championships and I couldn’t have asked for more.”

The podium was completed by Australia’s Anna-Leeze Hull as she crossed in a time of 21:44.55 to secure her second consecutive bronze medal in the event.

Mads Wurtz Schmidt produced a superb performance to win the men's under-23 event ©Getty Images

In the men’s under-23 event the reigning Danish champion, Mads Wurtz Schmidt, was also an early starter and set the fastest time at all the time checks on route to completing the 30km route in a superb time of 37:10.96.

It was not a surprise that the time of the Dane, who won the time trial event at this year’s Tour of Denmark, remained unchallenged for most of the event but eventually Germany’s Maximilian Schachmann looked on course to get close to Schmidt’s time after crossing the second time check just eight seconds off the pace.

However, he eventually fell 12 seconds short to take the silver medal, while last year’s junior world champion in the discipline Lennard Kamna of Germany finished in 37:31.98 to earn the bronze medal.

The time trial events are due to continue tomorrow with the junior men’s and the elite women’s time trials set to take place.