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Claudia Haüsler @teamtibco leader of @joemartinstage. She is wearing a pink jersey again. (@girorosa2013 ) twitter.com/lacambramanel/…

— Manel Lacambra (@lacambramanel)

April 26, 2013

Claudia remains in the KOM jersey after today’s time trial. There were no QPM points today, so her lead wasn’t under threat. We’re hoping Claudia will continue racing. We had a strange incident with her today during the time trial, and at this point, it’s not 100% certain she will continue.

Claudia started the day in eighth overall, and she wanted to ride the time trial full gas as a result. I think she had been in a good position for a strong result when a dropped chain wreaked havoc on her race. The incident occurred in the same corner where Judith had some trouble.

Claudia attempted to get the chain back on the big ring while she was on her bike, but she couldn’t manage it – so she hopped off her bike to do it herself, and somehow, in the process, she managed to dislocate her shoulder. It’s still not entirely exactly what happened, but it is absolutely clear that she had pulled her arm out of her shoulder joint. Her arm was just dangling.

She asked a spectator for help in German, and the woman, who we later learned was a non-German speaking Australian, was unable to offer any assistance. Claudia tried to run to the finish line with her bike, but she couldn’t really run properly with the way her arm was hanging. She ended up popping her arm back into her shoulder herself, and she lost more than two minutes in the end. She’s still pretty distraught about the whole thing.

German road nominees for London - Arndt, Hausler, Teutenberg, Worrack. 2 TT riders from those still TBA

— WomensCycling (@WomensCycling) June 23, 2012

The more I think about it, the more I’m glad I’m not an Olympic team selector, because it’s must be a nightmare, balancing different riders’ skills and abilities, taking into account their history, the course, the dynamics, etc etc etc. So it’ll be interesting to see how the Germans play it - especially because the German Cycling Federation have a bit of a history with odd team decisions. From the time they took Sarah Düster to the World Championships in Mendrisio, but didn’t bother to register her, and not telling her, to the decisions over the 2004 Olympic team that resulted in Judith Arndt sending them a very public message, they are one to watch… and it’ll be especially interesting this year, because they have to start as one of the top favourites.

Below the jump, I’ll tell you the three riders I think have to be given a ticket to London, and who I think will be fighting for the fourth spot - and in the comments you can say who YOU’D take! But we’ll start with Ina-Yoko Teutenberg - because if any rider is guaranteed a place on the team, if not on the Olympic podium, it’s Teute…

GreenEDGE, Cycling Australia (CA) and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) have launched a joint venture initiative to deliver Australia’s first top-level UCI professional women’s cycling team.

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Tiffany Cromwell, Shara Gillow, Melissa Hoskins, Jessie Maclean and Amanda Spratt are the five Australians on the on the nine-rider squad. Spratt, Hoskins and Gillow enjoyed breakthrough performances in Europe this year.

Spratt won the Tour de Feminin - Krásná Lipa in the Czech Republic in July ahead of Hoskins. Gillow claimed the 2011 Australian and Oceania time trial titles and was the Oceania road race champion. She also won stage two of the Giro Donne (Women’s Tour of Italy) to take the leader’s pink jersey before finishing ninth overall. Cromwell brings climbing prowess to the squad while Maclean adds options in sprint finishes.

The Australians will be joined by an international contingent headlined by reigning time trial world champion Judith Arndt. The German joins GreenEDGE-AIS from HTC-Highroad. Along with her rainbow jersey, Arndt brings a wealth of experience to the young squad. World championship time trial silver medalist Linda Villumsen (NZL), former Giro Donne winner Claudia Häusler (GER) and Dutch national team regular Loes Gunnewijk round out the squad.