Champion Chloe Dygert feels right at home in soggy Yorkshire

“I live in Washington State right now and it rains all the time there so I think I do pretty well in the rain,” said Dygert, after blasting her way to a shock gold medal in the women’s elite event.

A torrential downpour began before the preceding men’s Under-23s race and, though the rain eased a little, it did not stop until shortly after the women’s podium presentations.

The severe conditions caused a 40-minute delay to the start of the women’s race, to allow some of the standing water to be cleared.

Extra marshalls were posted at the most water-logged sections of the course, but Dygert had no problems.

In time trial riders are sent off in reverse order, with those expected to post the fastest times going last.

Dygert was 20th rider to start, in a 53-strong field, but produced a stunning ride, averaging 43 kilometres per hour over the 30km route from Ripon to Harrogate.

Though the Netherlands completed a hat-trick, it wasn’t the one they hoped for. Defending champion Annemiak van Vleuten’s hopes of a third consecutive title were washed away as she finished in the bronze medal position, one minute and 52 seconds behind the American.

Another Dutch rider, Anna van der Breggen took silver for the third successive year, at one minute, 32 behind Dygert. Great Britain’s Alice Barnes was 16th and the other home rider, Hayley Simmonds, 26th.

Nobody was more shocked by the result than 22-year-old Dygert who, until recently, was better known as a track rider. She said: “It was definitely a surprising day out there. I didn’t know what to expect, this is my first time racing against these girls in two years, so it was a really special moment.”

Dygert, however, had done her homework. She revealed: “I rode the course twice and drove it a few times, I watched video and everything so I think I was pretty well prepared. This race was what I was training for this year. I took the beginning half of the season very slow and really built up for this race.”

Van Vleuten refused to blame the conditions, but made no effort to hide her disappointment. She said: “I put all my effort into having an awesome day here, but I didn’t have an awesome day. I didn’t have an awesome day, I had a really hard day. She [Dygert] had an awesome performance and I under-performed.”

Barnes was upbeat afterwards, despite finishing outside the top-10.

“I kind of rode to my powers and to my plan,” said the Manchester-based rider. “I think for where I am and for how much time I’ve really put in to time trialling I can be happy.”

Of the conditions, Barnes said: “They weren’t too bad, it was the same for everyone really. We had a little bit of delay while they cleared some of the standing water, but other than that I guess you just let your tyre pressure down a bit and take the corners a little slower and stay safe and put in a good ride.”

The action continues Wednesday afternoon with the men’s elite time trial from Northallerton to Harrogate.