DRIVEN

Chloé Dygert is young, ambitious and talented enough to dominate in Tokyo, but has she recovered well enough from serious injury to compete? Owen Rogers speaks to her

- Owen Rogers

“I ’ve been quoted as saying that I hate riding my bikes, and yes I do hate bikes.” It’s not the sort of thing you expect to read in Cycling Weekly, let alone something from one of the sport’s top riders, but Chloé Dygert is no ordinary cyclist.

For the 24-year-old American, cycling isn’t about the latest kit, social rides or coffee stops, it’s only about achieving. Winning. And when we speak ahead of the Olympics, Dygert is on a mission, eyes firmly set on Tokyo.

“I hate bikes because I don’t ride for fun,” she tells CW. “I’ve never really had the opportunity to ride for fun from all my injuries. I am either full gas or on bedrest. I would say over the years I’ve started to enjoy the process a bit more as it’s become more normal for me. Winning outweighs my distaste for training. Winning isn’t easy and that’s why my training isn’t fun.”

Up to now her main success has come in timed events, but there has been road success too, which, combined with her single-mindedness, attracted European pro teams, and since signing Dygert to his Canyon-SR AM team, Ronny Lauke has become a fan.

“She’s driven. And it’s not that her success is a gift, she also has to work for it,” the German tells us. “I have been in the sport since 2008 and she is the only rider who said [to me] ‘I want to go to the Olympics and I want to win gold.’ Other riders say they want to participate in the Olympic Games and the goals stop. She has a clear goal and is not afraid to be measured, and this is what I like.”