Chloe Dygert Owen (USA) ended Annemiek van Grooten's hopes of a third consecutive victory by winning the elite women's time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in one of the most stunning individual victories in recent years.

Defending champion Annemiek van Grooten could only manage third place on the undulating 30.3 km course, with compatriot Anna van der Breggen in second. However, the Dutch pair were never in contention for the win, with van der Breggen finishing 1:32 behind and van Vleuten 1:52 behind.

"There is disappointment. Especially because we put everything we had into having a great day here and we didn't have a great day," van Vleuten told the press as he passed through the mixed zone, ironically a few minutes after Daigert Owen had passed the same way.

The Dutch rider took defeat on the chin, but after more than two years of individual time trial racing, this was only the second time she had lost in a race against the clock.

"I had an off day," she said. She put in a great performance."

Like a champion, Van Vleuten praised Daigert-Owen's run, but she admitted that her performance was far below her expectations. Asked if the wet conditions and slow start had affected her loss in the time trial, Van Vleuten replied: "It was the same for everyone. Like I said, I am not a woman of excuses. I was honest. And today Chloe Dygert proved that she is by far the best."

In fact, Van Vleuten consistently lost time throughout the race. She lost ground to Dygert on almost every pedal in the early flat sections and tried to take the lead in the second stage of the mountainous section, but the 36-year-old lost time there as well. It was the most complete defeat she had suffered in years.

"I don't know," she replied.

"I'm not the kind of girl who makes excuses. I don't know. I'm actually surprised. Usually I'm good at something and I'm at a very good level, but today I wasn't. I did the same thing I always do, and nothing changed.

"I got off to a good start and I was confident. I wasn't nervous and I wasn't even more nervous. On the flat part I knew I didn't have a very good race today. But on the climbs I didn't have the power and my legs just exploded. You could see it in the style of the bike. I was shaking. I didn't give up and you could see it on TV. I tried my hardest."

Van Vleuten passed the intermediate time check at 14.2 km. But when he crossed the finish line in Harrogate, he was also passed by Van der Breggen.

When asked if the two-minute gap to Diggart Owen was something that could be reduced now that the 2020 Olympics were just around the corner, the Mitchelton-Scott rider responded quickly and clearly.

"Yes. The gap is huge, but when I look at my output and compare it to what I had at the All-Japan Championships, it's underwhelming. I think she has (overwhelming) strength, but we need to be at the top of our game to get close to her."

"I had only heard from the national coach that she was faster. But the first half was flat and the second half was more hilly. But I knew she was faster, so I tried to make up time on the climbs, but I lost time on the hilly parts."

Fortunately for Van Vleuten, there is little time to dwell on defeat. The women's elite road race will be held in a few days, and the Dutch team has a chance to use today's loss to reestablish their dominance. Nevertheless, Van Vleuten added that the power data from today's race is of some concern.

"There's a little bit, but nothing that would change that. Hopefully it's just an off day. We've had good preparation for this, and until last week we had great power."

Later in the press conference, Dygert-Owen spoke about his lack of European road racing experience. On race day, the idea of putting Daigert-Owen ahead of the field would be no laughing matter.