Ellen van Dijk dominates Chrono des Nations in first TT since world championship triumph
Dutch powerhouse begins rainbow jersey season with emphatic victory, 47-year-old American star Amber Neben finishes third.
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Ellen van Dijk set the tone on her third season in the rainbow skinsuit of world time trial champion with a crushing victory at Chrono des Nations.
Van Dijk dominated the standalone French time trial Sunday in what was her first race against the clock since she won the 2022 worlds TT in Wollongong last month.
The Dutch powerhouse blazed through the 27.2km course in Les Herbiers 1:06 faster than runner-up Valeriya Kononenko of Ukraine to score her sixth TT or prologue victory of the season.
The American 47-year-old Amber Neben completed the podium, 1:18 down on Van Dijk’s winning time.
Elle était attendue, elle a tenu son rang : @ellenvdijk 👑#ChronoDesNations 📷 @MathildeLAzou pic.twitter.com/KqN2XFw4AA
— ChronoDesNations (@ChronoNations) October 16, 2022
Van Dijk’s archrival Marlen Reusser was not racing after she ended her season at the Tour de Romandie earlier this month.
Van Dijk will wear her rainbow stripes through her fifth season with Trek-Segafredo in 2023. The Dutch veteran also wore the bands in the 2021-22 season, and before that in 2013-14 after she won TT worlds during her time at Specialized-Lululemon.