World Cycling Championships 2023: Niedermaier takes U23 gold in Dygert's time trial show
Niedermaier, who is only 20 years old, surprisingly won the U23 women's individual time trial title on the road at the World Cycling Championships in Scotland.
The rider from Rosenheim, who had already surprised everyone by winning the queen stage of the Giro d'Italia in July, took victory over 36.2 kilometres in 49:27 minutes, seven seconds ahead of France's Cedrine Kerbaol.
Two minutes behind Dygert
As in the previous year, the U23 category was held as part of the women's competition. Niedermaier finished in a respectable eleventh place in the women's classification. She was 2:27 minutes behind the American Chloe Dygert, who celebrated her happy ending after a long period of suffering.
Niedermaier is regarded as a huge talent in German cycling. She is also active in ski mountaineering and has her sights set on competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The sport will be part of the Olympic programme in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
The young German had already proven her talent in 2021 with a third place in the Junior World Championships. After switching to the WorldTour this year, her rise continued at a rapid pace. On stage 5 of the Giro, she outsprinted the entire competition and won ahead of Dutch cycling star Annemiek van Vleuten. Just one day later, however, she suffered a shock when she was carried away in a crash by Tadej Pogacar's girlfriend Urska Zigart and had to retire with a facial injury.
Dygert back at the top
Dygert also has unpleasant memories of a crash. In 2020, the 26-year-old cut her thigh on a crash barrier in a horror crash during the World Championship time trial in Imola and had to undergo several operations. She then contracted Epstein-Barr virus before having to undergo heart surgery last autumn. Now she has won the World Championship title again after four years. A few days ago, she had already won the rainbow jersey on the track in the 3000 metre single pursuit ahead of Franziska Brauße.
Dygert won the women's time trial ahead of Australia's Grace Brown and Austria's Christina Schweinberger. "This is very special. Not just for me, but for the whole team. I trust God's plan in this process," said Dygert. Marlen Reusser had been the top favourite to win. However, the Swiss athlete was already 30 seconds behind Dygert at the first intermediate time. She did not make it to the second. With back problems, which may have resulted from her crash in the mixed relay, she got off her bike in disappointment.
Copyright 2023, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
