I spoke with Slipstream-Chipotle director sportif Jonathan Vaughters before the team time trial stage of the Tour de Georgia today at Road Atlanta, and Vaughters said Slipstream’s Timmy Duggan should be released from the hospital by Saturday.

Duggan, 23, was involved in a serious crash Wednesday in Stage 3 when he went over the handlebars on a 45-mile-per-hour descent. Corey Collier of Health Net-Maxxis and Ben Day of Toyota United also were involved in the crash.

“He’s fine, not great,” Vaughters said outside the team motor home. “Broken scapula, severe concussion and broken collarbone. He’s fine. He’s with his wife in the hospital. He’ll probably fly home the day after tomorrow.”

Duggan’s crash cast a pall over the peloton Wednesday and riders from every team were concerned, particularly in light of what happened to Dalton, Ga., native Saul Raisin a few years back. Raisin was considered one of the best up-and-coming riders in professional cycling, but he suffered a severe head injury in a crash while riding with Credit Agricole in Europe in 2006 and needed emergency brain surgery to save his life. Raisin is no longer in racing at age 25.

Vaughters agreed that the Duggan crash was sobering.

“If the impact were that much harder,” Vaughters said, holding his numb and forefinger just apart, “he’d be dead or paralyzed for life. It’s unlucky that he crashed, and very lucky that he ended up good as opposed to bad.”

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