Ashleigh Gentle storms through on run to win PTO US Open in Dallas

Australia's Ashleigh Gentle pulled out a dramatic victory in the PTO US Open, overhauling a seven-minute gap to American rival Taylor Knibb in the final stages of the run. Gentle, also the reigning Canadian Open champion, has emerged as a force in 2022, and stunned Knibb, the 2021 Olympic silver medallist, with her late surge. Ad The Australian reflected on a stunning win afterwards.

«I had to dig to the depths of myself for that one. That was really, really tough. [I was] honestly feeling just horrible on the start of the bike ride.

PTO Tour'Beautiful scenes!' – Gentle wins PTO US Open after stunning runAN HOUR AGO »Being on my own a little bit, watching the group ride away. It was really discouraging, but I was just trying to keep my head in the game. «I absolutely didn’t expect to have the run I did.

I just really had to focus on myself. I just tried to manage my pacing well, and I guess it paid off. »It’s been a really good year, it’s been a lot of fun, I’m really enjoying the sport again." Knibb, for her part, was disappointed to be overtaken.

She said: "[The finish line was] so close, but so far, I’m just grateful to get to the finish line, I don’t know how I made it, I was just dying, overheating, I couldn’t move any faster." It was scorching in Dallas, as the PTO Tour came to Texas for the first time, with temperatures in the high 30s and humidity well over 50%. Even the water was warm, at 26 degrees. The world's top three women, German duo Laura Philipp and Anne Haug, and Swiss Daniela Ryf, all missed the event.

As did American pair Skye Moench and Chelsea Sodaro. All five are in the world top 10. This left the field wide open.