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Six weeks ago, Slipstream-Chipotle’s Timmy Duggan was slated to be a member of team time trial winning squads at both the Tour de Georgia and the Giro d’Italia. Instead, Duggan went down in a pileup in Georgia the day before the TTT and suffered a brain injury that landed him in an Athens hospital for several days. Duggan hasn’t raced since and his season’s plans are now up in the air.

After a week of avoiding crashes and keeping a low profile, Andreas Klöden (Astana) will reluctantly step into the spotlight in Tuesday’s 39.4km individual time trial that will be the 91st Giro d’Italia’s first major litmus test. The media-shy Klöden will be favorite for the decisive 10th stage as the main contenders for the maglia rosa step up to show their cards after nine nervous and exciting days of racing.

Kazakhstan’s Zulfia Zabirova won the third stage of the Tour de l'Aude on Monday, soloing in to victory at the end of 111km race around Corbi Lézignan-res. High Road’s Judith Arndt continues to hold the overall lead in what has grown to be one of the world’s premiere stage races for women.

Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole) notched an impressive prologue win in Monday’s opener at the Volta a Catalunya against some pretty impressive company. Hushovd, 30, used his combination of strength and technical skills to claim a six-second victory over George Hincapie (High Road) on the short, but challenging 3.7km course in Lloret de Mar. Spanish rider José Ivan Gutiérrez (Caisse d’Epargne) and Tomas Lovkvist (High Road) tied at seven seconds off the pace with world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara (CSC) stopping the lock nine seconds in arrears.

Reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador (Astana) has promised to continue riding in the Giro d’Italia, despite learning that he suffered a minor elbow fracture in a crash last Saturday. "Contador's visit to the radiologist today (Monday) revealed a fissure in the radius head of his left elbow," his Astana team said in a statement on Monday. "The fracture without dislocation stems from his Stage 8 crash from Rivisondoli to Tivoli (on Saturday)."

Most sports have a distinct off-season. For the super ambitious cyclist, there is a cycling medium for any time of year. Road and mountain bike racing goes all spring and summer, 'cross rages in the fall and winter, and with the sweet indoor ADT velodrome in LA, track goes all year round. I have many athletes finish their road or mountain bike season in September, go right into 'cross, and a few are good enough to make the worlds 'cross team, committing them through the end of January … leaving them a month before the next road/mtb season starts in earnest.

Brave Soldier Brave Shave Price: $15 Size: 6 ounces Web site: www.bravesoldier.com Safe from a razor’s edge. Brave Soldier’s Brave Shave was originally designed for the specific task of body shaving associated with the sports of cycling and swimming. But according to the brand it has proven perfect for the ‘ultimate face shave.’

Somebody once made the mistake of asking “What do you think about out there during five hour races? It can’t all be focus, right?” You asked for it! A sampling of my really, really random inner monologue from the second stage at the Four Days of Dunkirk, starting while rolling from the camper to the start: Wow. It’s really nice today. Why are we starting in a dive strip mall parking lot? Lame. I need to pee.

There is one less stage race on the National Racing Calendar as Pennsylvania's Tour de 'Toona has cut back from being a seven-day race to a single-day criterium. The crit will be held July 27th and have a $30,000 prize list. Organizers plan to return to a stage race format in 2009, race director Larry Bilotto said. “This was not an easy call to make; by initiating just a one-year reduction, we feel we can produce an even stronger International Tour de ‘Toona stage race in 2009.”

Colavita's national crit champ Tina Pic won her second Mt. Hood Cycling Classic stage on Sunday while 19-year-old Julie Beveridge (Aaron's) locked up the overall title despite a nasty crash in the last corner of the race. Jeanie Longo-Ciprelli (River City Bicycles) grabbed third place in the sprint and took a four-second time bonus that moved her from third to second on GC, passing three-time Mt. Hood winner Leah Goldstein (ValueAct Capital)

Judith Arndt surged into the overall lead at the Tour de L’Aude on Sunday after her Team High Road squad rode to second in the team time trial in stage 2. The Dutch national team was fastest in the 27km course starting and finishing in Port La Nouvelle, covering the route in 35 minutes, 44 seconds (45.33kph). That wasn’t enough to snag the maillot jaune, however. Ardnt and her High Road teammates finished second in the stage at just six seconds back and allowed the two-time winner Arndt to slip into the leader’s jersey.

French sprinter Sébastian Chavanel (FDJeux) won the fourth and final stage Sunday to claim the overall title at the Tour de Picardie in France. Chavanel scored time bonuses at intermediate sprints in the afternoon road race of Sunday’s two-part finale to grab the overall crown by a slender, one-second margin.

Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) wants nothing more than to win a stage in the Giro d’Italia wearing the rainbow jersey. “The Cricket” came close but fell short in 2007, and when he successfully defended the world championship last fall in Stuttgart, one of the first things he said he wanted to do was win in Italy wearing the rainbow stripes. Bettini, 34, still has some unfinished business after losing in a photo-finish to Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) in a hotly contested sprint in Sunday’s 218km ninth stage from Civitavecchia to San Vicenzo.

Health Net-Maxxis reeled in a dangerous breakaway on Saturday to preserve Rory Sutherland's overall lead in the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic. The break went away at mile 35 of the 101-mile stage and contained Bissell's Edward King, who was just 1:41 behind Sutherland on GC. The break also contained dangerous climbers Andrew Bajadali (Kelly Benefits), Michael Grabinger (Successful Living) and James Mattis (California Giant Berry), each of whom brought along a teammate. Bissell's King had two teammates.

Martin Elmiger (Ag2r-La Mondiale) is the new leader at the Tour de Picardie after winning Saturday’s second stage in an attack-riddled stage from Ribemont to Clérmont-de-l’Oise. Elmiger was part of a late counter-attack that surged away when the day’s main breakaway was caught with about 20km to go. Elmiger stayed clear a few seconds of the chasing lead pack to win the stage and take the leader’s jersey.