"I'm sick of losing": Chloé Dygert targets consistency for the 2026 season

Chloé Dygert is back in Australia to start her 2026 season, hoping to repeat the success she found here last year. The American rider won the final stage of the 2025 Santos Women's Tour Down Under, but her season stalled after that early victory. Now, she is determined to find consistency again.

Dygert's 2025 campaign began brightly with a win in Australia and a second place at the Surf Coast Classic. However, those were her last podium finishes of the year. Speaking at a press conference before the race in quotes gathered by Cycling News, the Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto rider admitted that the rest of the season was a struggle.

"Last year was really hard for me on and off the bike," Dygert said. "I've had a lot of years of experience to, you know, let it bother me in the moment and then kind of move on and take a step forward so this year, I'm just looking forward to learning from the mistakes and trying to stay healthy."

The 29-year-old was blunt about her motivation for the new season. "Some of that's out of my control, but there's some things in my control. I'm really taking that step and making sure that I'm fulfilling everything I can to reach the best potential that I have. I'm sick of losing so this year, I'm really focusing on making sure it doesn't happen much."

Dygert's career was defined by a horrific crash at the 2020 World Championships in Imola, where she struck a guardrail during the time trial. Years later, the injury to her leg still affects her daily life. "It takes a toll on my life every day, even off the bike," she revealed. "I'll never be the same rider as I was before and to me, that's the hardest thing. Every day I have to wake up and putting my socks on hurts ... It's something you have to live with."

However, Dygert is still grateful. "I'm very blessed, God has blessed me so much, because I very easily could not have a leg right now. So I'm just happy to be sitting here and doing everything that I can to try to be on that top step."

Now entering her sixth season with her team, Dygert says she has matured. She takes fewer risks than she did when she won the Junior World title in 2015. "You let things go when you get older," she said. "You grow up a little bit, you take probably a little less risk – no more guardrails – but yeah, the hunger still remains."

That hunger will be tested this weekend. Dygert tried her luck in the opening stage’s sprint yesterday, but could only finish 12th, well behind winner Ally Wollaston. With two stages remaining, she still has time to make her presence known, especially in the second, which seems a perfect fit for her explosivity.

"I'm happy to be back. It's a great way to open up the season," she concluded.