Chloé Dygert considered pulling out of the UCI Road World Championships elite women's road race on Saturday, but with resolve and determination, she overcame doubts about her form and a surprising silver medal was a special reward after a tough season.
Dygert fought to get back to the front of the race several times in the final two laps before giving her all in the six-rider sprint. She kicked to the left at the same time as eventual winner Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) started her sprint to the right, but Dygert didn't have enough power to match the defending champion.
"Before the race, I definitely didn't expect this, but now coming away with silver, I'm a little mad that it wasn't gold, but I'm happy," Dygert said to Cyclingnews and other media post-race.
"I almost didn't really even want to start today after how my year has gone and how this week went mentally for me. I feel very blessed to have the support that I have back home and here. Without them, I don't think I would have started."
Dygert is known for her winning mentality but admitted that another tough season had hurt her.
She sustained a severe leg injury at the 2020 Imola World Championships that required months of recovery and follow-up surgeries. She has also been hit with Epstein Barr virus, and heart surgery to treat a longstanding tachycardia issue.
Dygert crashed during the Paris Olympics time trial but still managed to win a bronze medal, and crashed again during the women's road race but went on to claim the Olympic title in the women's team pursuit the next week. Everything has taken its toll on the 27-year-old American.
"This is not an excuse but this whole year, I don't really know why, but just the way I normally can hurt myself - with my power and my training - I'm just off physically," Dygert admitted when asked by Cyclingnews.
"I'm not putting out the power that I know I can and should in training. I'm finishing efforts and races and I can't trash myself, I can't turn myself inside out.
"I don't know if it's some sort of mental block after the past four years. I've had all this time off due to injury, but I've never had time off because when I take a break, it's always injury or illness-induced.
"Maybe it's kind of catching up with me, and I need to take a mental break and reset, recharge and start focusing on the season to come."
Dygert can perhaps go into the offseason knowing she gave her all in Zurich despite the terrible conditions.
"Lotte Kopecky is one of the best sprinters, right? She's just very good at sprinting, and I'm not so much," Dygert admitted.
"At the top of the late climb I had to gamble because Elisa [Longo Borghini] went and I was behind Kopecky. I lulled behind her, just expecting her to go. I knew there was enough time we could do it.
"Then in the final, it was just the descent for me. I went at my pace and if I caught on, I caught on. I'm really grateful and thankful that I did.
"Now I've just got to work on my descending. I've had numerous crashes just from sliding out and after my accident, there's still fear there. I don't want to admit it but there is.
"It's just something I have to overcome. I'm working on it, we've finally dialled in my tyre pressure and hopefully by next year I'll nail it."
