Like its rider, Timmy Duggan's Cannondale SuperSix EVO Team has been knocked around, yet it bounces back. At the Tour of Poland, a car ran over his bike.
"It was fine, though," Duggan said with a laugh. "We just had to replace the front wheel."
All bike racers crash, but Duggan has suffered some particularly brutal falls, most notably a high-speed collision at the 2008 Tour de Georgia that resulted in a brain injury, among other damage. Then after rebuilding himself into top form, Duggan crashed and broke his left arm three separate times in the 2010 season.
This year, however, the tide has turned for the 29-year-old former ski racer. He won the US national road championships, he competed in the Olympics (and rode in an all-day breakaway) and he moved into a brand-new home with his wife in Nederland, Colorado.
Duggan's bike now carries a few visual reminders of his road to success. The US national champ paint scheme is the most obvious — Cannondale put him on the red, white and blue frame for the Tour of Poland and the Tour of Utah. And Speedplay set him up with Zero pedals to match. But his SRM Power Control 7 head unit features another graphics scheme that money can't buy — the Team USA Olympic edition.
Duggan's gear set-up is fairly straightforward: a SRAM 2012 Red group, Mavic R-Sys wheels and a Cannondale SRM crank.
Heading into the big-mountain climbs of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, Duggan had an 11-28 cassette on his bike. On the final stage of the Tour of Utah, which finished with a brutally steep and long climb, Duggan found himself wishing for more.
"Levi (Leipheimer) had the new SRAM (WiFLi) on," Duggan said. "I wish I had, too."
SRAM recently expanded its Red and Force groups to include a long-cage WiFLi derailleur that can accommodate rear gearing up to 32 teeth.
Duggan's SRAM drivetrain does have a nice form-meets-function touch with the fully lined cabling that uses white housing and red grub seals.
Complete bike specification
Frame: Cannondale SuperSix EVO Team with custom paint, 50cm
Fork: Cannondale SuperSix EVO Speed Save Stem: FSA OS-99 CSI, 120mm Handlebar: FSA SL-K, 42cm Front brake: SRAM 2012 Red Rear brake: SRAM 2012 Red Brake levers: SRAM 2012 Red Front derailleur: SRAM 2012 Red Rear derailleur: SRAM 2012 Red Shifters: SRAM 2012 Red Cassette: SRAM 1090, 11-28 Chain: SRAM 2012 Red Power Meter: SRM Computer: Power Control 7, Team USA Olympic edition Bottom bracket: SRAM BB30 PressFit with ceramic bearings Pedals: Speedplay Zero with custom colors Wheelset: Mavic R-SYS Front tire: Mavic Yksion GripLink, 23mm Rear tire: Mavic Yksion PowerLink, 23mm Saddle: Fi;zi:k Antares with braided carbon rails Bottle cages: Elite carbon (2)
