Timmy Duggan will remain with Liquigas-Cannondale for the second year after the WorldTour team offered him another contract. He told VeloNation the environment at the Italian team is one that resembles a family and he is looking forward to building on what he had achieved with the team.
“My biggest goal for 2011 was just to get through it healthy, which I did, so that was nice. After breaking my arm three different times in 2010, I really just wanted to get the rhythm back going again. I didn’t race as much as I was hoping but I did get opportunities in some different races I hadn’t done before as well as quite a bit of high level racing in the States.
“This year was the most I’d raced in the States since like 2004! Liquigas-Cannondale will be a lot more familiar and comfortable for me in my second year so I look forward to just feeling more settled. Also, having a good year to build back up healthy this season will pay dividends in 2012.”
Duggan performed well when racing in America this season, finishing seventh overall in the Tour of Utah. Next year his aim is to line up at a Grand Tour, something he’s never before done in his career. He will also again target local races in the States such as Tour of California, Utah and the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, races he describes as very important to Liquigas-Cannondale.
The team has got a number of stars on its roster including Ivan Basso, Vincenzo Nibali and Peter Sagan, who Duggan says is incredible to work with.
“I raced with Elia Viviani and Daniel Oss quite a bit this season and I really enjoyed riding for them. They both have a great combination of leadership skills and talent on the bike and are very thankful for your work. There’s been a lot of successful days working with those guys,” he told VeloNation.
“And Sagan is great to race with and ride with because he is such a freakish talent. What that guy can do on the bike is unreal, and he nearly always finishes it off strongly when you bust it all day for him. And of course hanging out with my sole American buddy on the team, Ted King, has always been an adventure. We have a good time and function really successfully together.”