Chloe Dygert-Owen (Sho-Air Twenty20) has fully recovered from a concussion and knee injury that sidelined her from competition for almost a year. In an interview with Cyclingnews, the multi-discipline athlete said she's feeling better than ever after winning performances in the time trial and team pursuit at the Pan American Games. She proved as much, once again, winning the opening stage at the Colorado Classic on Thursday. She is also thinking longterm about her career and aiming to attempt selection to the next six Olympic Games.
"It was good for me to go to Pan Ams, even just for the track, because I haven't raced in a long time," Dygert-Owen said in a phone interview with Cyclingnews ahead of the Colorado Classic. "Being on the track again gave me a lot of motivation. Having a good ride in the time trial gave me some confidence, too. It gets harder and harder to come back from injuries. This was the longest recovery that I've ever had to deal with, but I think I'm finally getting there. It's looking positive."
Dygert-Owen has a degenerative back injury that she said causes the vertebrae of her spine to feel like they are grinding. She said there is nothing she can do to fix the problem other than to make sure that she's as comfortable as possible on her bike. She also has ongoing hip and knee pain. She suffered a serious concussion at the Tour of California last year after being involved in a crash, which took her nearly a year to recover from.
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"The knee issue and the concussion were what kept me from going to Worlds last year, and I missed the entire track season," Dygert-Owen said. "My effort at the Pan Am Games has probably been one of the best efforts that I've had since before the concussion.
"It's safe to say that, it's been over a year, but with the track training for Pan Ams, my strength is finally coming back. I'm not 100 per cent, but it was really exciting to be able to look at it and say, 'Wow, my body is actually recovering, and I'm doing what I should be doing again.' For a long time it was really frustrating looking down at my calendar and being so many watts off, so it's satisfying to see all the training coming together."
Dygert-Owen secured double world titles in the junior time trial and road race at the World Championships in Richmond in 2015. In the elite ranks, she was fourth in the time trial at the World Championships in Bergen in 2017. On the track, Dygert-Owen has won five gold medals in combined Individual Pursuit and Team Pursuit events at the World Championships, and a silver medal in the Team Pursuit at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
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You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/dygert-owen-aiming-for-the-next-six-olympic-games
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