Chloé Dygert Supports Niewiadoma-Phinney at Tour de France Femmes, Aims for World Champs

Chloé Dygert Focuses on Team Success in Tour de France Femmes

Chloé Dygert, a 28-year-old cyclist from the Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto team, secured fifth place in stage 4 of the Tour de France Femmes. However, her performance was not the main focus of her participation in the race. Instead, Dygert emphasized her role as a domestique for defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, highlighting the importance of supporting her teammate over personal achievements.

“This whole race, we’re here to support Kasia and make sure she stays safe. At the end of the day, we’re going to do everything for her over anything else,” Dygert explained about her responsibilities during the event.

She also praised Niewiadoma-Phinney’s leadership and the positive team environment. “Kasia is great. There’s a good vibe on and off the bike, and we really enjoy each other. We all really get along, winning last year was super great, and Kasia brings such a good leadership vibe to the team. We really appreciate that. She’s a great friend and great teammate,” Dygert added.

Despite being in the mix during the sprint finish in Poitiers, Dygert was not initially expected to compete for a result. Her original plan was to support Aga Skalniak-Sójka in the sprint. However, when Skalniak-Sójka felt unwell, the strategy shifted, and Dygert took on the role.

“We had a plan to sprint with Aga. But she was not feeling so well, and we switched to me. I knew that, potentially, I could sprint, but that won’t stop me from doing my job at the beginning. I was doing a lot of work, a lot of teammate stuff at the beginning, and halfway through we had to change the plan. I went into recovery mode so I could be ready for the sprint,” Dygert said.

While supporting her teammate, Dygert was also preparing for her own goals later in the year, with the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda in September being a major highlight.

“I’m using this Tour as really good training for the Worlds. It’s all a good way for me to get training in. It’s also a mindset of knowing the pressure is completely off. I’m here for Kasia to do what she needs. We’re all here for that goal,” Dygert reiterated.

In Poitiers, Dygert put her long-term plans aside and focused on the sprint finish. “It was my first time going against the best in, probably, a year or two. I was just trying to get my sprinter legs, be confident in the bunch, and use my teammates as best I could. Soraya did an amazing pull for me, and I just tried to use that and hold on for dear life,” she said.

After the stage, Dygert reflected on her performance and used it as a learning experience. “My initial thought was that I should have stayed on the barriers. I would have closed it off to the sprinters. But that’s how it goes, right? I’m just learning and then trying to get better,” she concluded.