Charles Bradley Huff (TIAA-CREF) won Stage 1 of the 26th Tour de Normandie on Tuesday, outsprinting Spain’s Vidal Celis (Orbea) and France’s Saïd Haddou (Auber 93).

"I started my sprint with 300 meters to go, which is way, way too long. But I got it anyway," said Huff. "We were all over the place, as the sprint was nuts, but somehow everyone contributed and it worked well."

The 211km stage from Mondeville to Forges les Eaux was long, cold and buffeted with cross winds. Rabobank was ever present at the front of the race, protecting the lead of defending Tour of Normandie champion Kai Reus, who won Monday’s prologue.

With 5km to go and the race at the breaking point in the wind, Rabobank sent yet another man up the road. But TIAA-CREF's Mike Creed and Mike Friedman chased him down, setting up a perfect leadout from Danny Pate and Taylor Tolleson. Tolleson pulled off a bit early, leaving Huff alone at 300 meters to go, but with enough power to win the uphill sprint.

The 10-second bonus for winning the stage made Huff the new race leader in this venerable French stage race.

"I was 8 years old when Viatcheslav Ekimov won this race ... I don't think I knew how to ride a bike yet, but he's my hero, so I'll try to do him proud," said Huff as he rode to kiss his first podium girl.

Wednesday brings a double-stage day: an 81km leg in the morning between Forges les Eaux and Aubevoye; and a 74km leg from Gaillon to Elbeuf-sur-Seine.

Top five
1. Charles Bradley Huff (USA), TIAA-CREF, 211km in 5.55:38
2. Vidal Celis (Sp), Orbea, same time
3. Saïd Haddou (F), Auber 93, s.t.
4. Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn), Cycle Racing Team Vang, s.t.
5. Martin Garrido (Arg), Duja-Tavira, s.t.

Overall
1. Charles Bradley Huff (USA), TIAA-CREF, 6:03:02
2. Kai Reus (Ned), Rabobank, at 0:02
3. Rick Flens (Ned), Rabobank, at 0:05
4. Saïd Haddou (F), Auber 93, at 0:07
5. Emilien Berges (F), Auber 93, s.t.

Zabriskie leads Settimana Ciclistica
David Zabriskie (CSC) took the lead in the Settimana Ciclistica Internazionale Coppi-Bartali on Tuesday after his team won the 12km team time trial, the second half of the first day’s racing in Misano, Italy.

The first half went to Italian Danilo Napolitano (Lampre) who outsprinted compatriot Elia Rigotto (Milram) and Brazilian Murilo Fischer (Naturino) at the conclusion of a 95km circuit race in Riccione.

Stage 1a
1. Danilo Napolitano (I), Lampre), 2:26:46 (40,009 km/h)
2. Elia Rigotto (I), Milram, same time
3. Murilo Fischer (Bra), Naturino, s.t
4. Crescenzo d'Amore (I), Acqua Sapone, s.t
5. Olaf Pollack (G), T-Mobile, s.t

Stage 1b
1. CSC (Gustov, Lombardi, Zabriskie, Blaudzun, Sorensen, Klostergaard, Piil, Luttemberger), 12:49:61 (56,176 km/h)
2. T-Mobile, at 0:05
3. Gerolsteiner, at 0:08.
4. Lampre, at 0:11
5. Davitamon, at 012

Overall
1. David Zabriskie (USA), CSC, 2:28:18
2. Michael Blaudzun (Den), CSC, s.t
3. Niki Sorensen (Den), CSC, s.t
4. Volodymir Gustov (Ukr), CSC, s.t
5. Peter Luttemberger (Aut), CSC, s.t

Ullrich to race Giro
Jan Ullrich will ride in this year's Giro d'Italia in a bid to fine-tune his bid for a second victory in the Tour de France, his T-Mobile team has announced.

The Giro begins on May 6 and ends May 28, just over a month before the start of the Tour de France on July 1.

Ullrich, the 1997 Tour winner who has come runner-up five times on the world's toughest bike race - three times behind now-retired seven-time winner Lance Armstrong - has yet to appear in competition this season.

The 32-year-old German is scheduled to compete in the Circuit de la Sarthe, which begins on April 4, having spent most of the season training in Tuscany, Italy.

Ullrich's second participation in the three-week Giro is unlikely to be a quest for glory.

"I'm not looking at the general classification. But I will be keen to test my legs on a few key stages," said the German, who finished the Tour de France in third place last year behind Ivan Basso, who will also race the Giro with an eye toward sharpening his Tour campaign.

Kloden faces surgery after training crash
Former Tour de France runner-up Andreas Kloden injured his shoulder after a fall in training late on Tuesday afternoon, according to a T-Mobile team spokesman, who added that he is likely to be out for six weeks.

The German rider was taken to hospital and examined by team doctor Carsten Temme, T-Mobile spokesman Luc Eisenga said.

Kloden crashed on a wet patch of road near his home in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland and has been diagnosed with a collarbone injury that is affecting his movement. He is set to undergo an operation on Wednesday.

The injury means Kloden, a teammate of Tour de France contender Jan Ullrich, will only return to light training in two weeks’ time. It will be a further four weeks before he can train intensely.

Eisenga said the injury would not hamper Kloden's participation in this year's Tour, which begins July 1 in Strasbourg.

"An injury like that at this time of the season is frustrating, but we'll do everything to make sure Andreas has everything he needs and is fit for the start of the Tour," he said.

Petacchi sets racing schedule
Italian sprint great Alessandro Petacchi (Milram), announced Tuesday that he will race in Wednesday's European Tour Waregem Grand Prix.

Petacchi, who won one stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico this month and finished second at Milan-San Remo to move up to fourth in the ProTour standings, will also compete in the Harelbeke Grand Prix in Belgium this coming Saturday.