Stef Clement (Rabobank) outsprints Timothy Duggan (Garmin - Slipstream) to win the final stage of the Dauphiné. (Image credit: Sirotti)
Garmin-Slipstream's Timothy Duggan proved he's returned to form one year after suffering a brain injury from a crash in stage three of the 2008 Tour de Georgia. Duggan finished in second place in the final stage of the Dauphiné at Grenoble. Dutchman Stef Clement out-sprinted him but he wasn't devastated afterwards. On the other hand, the American said, "It's kind of cool to be up there for the win at a ProTour race."
Duggan arrived in Grenoble as part of a three-men break with Stef Clement and Frenchman Sébastien Joly, who was shaking on his bike as he had the possibility to score a win in his home region at one of his favourite races exactly two years after his testicular cancer was diagnosed. "When Joly attacked, I knew we had a good chance to come across," Duggan said. "In the sprint against Clement I couldn't come around in the wind."
Duggan found it hard to express any disappointment. "For the whole week I struggled and today it was cool, it happened to be easy," he said. "It was the easiest day of the week. To be up there for the win again after what happened last year is really good. This ride today will definitely give me confidence for the future. I'll go on holiday with my wife for four days, then I'll ride the Tour of Austria in early July."
