Dygert, White give US another 1-2 finish at cycling worlds

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Chloe Dygert and Emma White are proving the future of American cycling is bright.

The duo finished first and second in the junior road race at the world championships Friday, following up their 1-2 performance in the time trial with another dominant performance.

Dygert rode solo off the front of the lead group on the final circuit of the course through Richmond, building such a lead that nobody was in sight when she crossed the finish line. It was her second gold medal after her dominant time trial performance Monday.

White finished 1 minute, 23 seconds behind for her second silver medal. She held off Agnieszka Skalniak of Poland by 5 seconds on the long finishing straightaway on Broad Street.

''I really wanted us to podium. Going both races one-two is awesome,'' Dygert said. ''I couldn't be happier. Great team, we all worked so hard and I'm so glad we could do this.''

In the under-23 men's race, Kevin Ledanois of France held off Italy's Simone Consonni after a late attack to win gold. Anthony Turgis made it a memorable day for the French with bronze.

''It was a victory for the team,'' Ledanois said through a translator.

Rain expected Friday never really materialized until the final laps, perhaps a good omen for this weekend, when more is forecast for the elite men's and women's road races.

Dygert and White were part of a four-rider breakaway on the second of four laps on a tough, 10-mile circuit featuring three steep climbs near the finish. Dygert attacked the rest of the group just before the final lap, quickly opening a gap to the rest of the riders.

''She made me suffer,'' White said. ''I was hurting.''

At one point on the course, riders make a 180-degree turn and head the other way. Dygert opened such an advantage the rest had to watch the 18-year-old from Brownsburg, Indiana, ride away.

''We were kind of cheering each other,'' White said with a smile.

Dygert, who missed most of last year to injury, kept building her lead up the cobbled climb of Libby Hill and eventually onto Broad Street. She was so far ahead of the chase that she kept glancing over her shoulder, trying to see how far it was back to White and the rest of them.

''I knew the time, but I've seen some things on YouTube where people would post up and someone would get them at the line,'' she said. ''I wanted to make sure nobody was behind me.''

Nobody was for quite some time.