withdraw from the Tour Bergamasca in the northern Italian town of Bergamo over the weekend.

After spending as much time in the bathroom as on the race course and running a fever, an ailing Hubbard -- on orders from the AKI Gipiemme team doctor -- pulled out having completed six stages of the eight-stage event that covered 1,193 kilometres.

It marked the first time Hubbard had failed to finish in nine outings since joining the Monaco-based outfit earlier this year, including three major stage races, a pair of two-day races and four one-day events.

"There was some personal disappointment, because I wanted to finish the race,'' said Hubbard last night, "but, obviously, if your health is not a hundred percent it's just not possible. So I had to take my health into consideration and concentrate on getting better for my next race.'' Still, the 23-year-old was pleased in being able to help his team-mates do well, with Marco Zanotti having placed second in the 155 kilometre opening stage and sixth in the fourth stage (180 kilometres), while Stephano Faustini was fourth in the seventh stage (170 kilometres).

Most gruelling were the fifth and seventh stages which took riders on arduously steep climbs through the mountains and the eight kilometre, uphill time trial that was stage six.

Hubbard had been delegated to help the team's sprinter finish with the lead group during the first four stages and then was allowed to ride his own race during the fifth stage.

"Unfortunately my health just wasn't there and I couldn't compete in the hills, but as far as riding on the flats and on the rolling stages I was pretty satisfied with my riding,'' continued Hubbard. "I was able to help my team reel in a few breakaways and help get my riders up to the front towards the end of the races.

"But I got a fever and started losing sleep because I was spending a lot of time in the bathroom. It was not ideal racing conditions for me...'' Rested and again healthy, Hubbard now looks forward to this Sunday's Tour de Berne, a 200 kilometre one-day race over hilly terrain, while May 3 has the Bermudian slated to compete in the two-day Giro Tuscany.

Despite having some four months under his belt as a professional, Hubbard said he was still some way from reaching his peak, reiterating that he had much to learn and much work to do.

"Right now I would say that I'm riding at about 75 percent of my potential.

I've still got some work to do to ride at a hundred percent, but that won't be until later on in the season when I've got some more racing in my legs and have had some more time to adjust to the new race rhythm and everything else.'' The year has been like a giant pothole for another of the Island's overseas riders, with MacInnis Looby's season of misery continuing on Saturday and Sunday at the Wente Classic Road Race in Livermore, California.

Sunday saw a common malady appear as the Team Extreme member suffered two flat tyres during 20 minutes into an hour long criterium and called it a day.

Meanwhile, the rider dropped out of Saturday's 75-mile road race after completing just two of five laps, citing fatigue.

"I've done Wente the last three years and finished in the top 20, but by the second lap I felt like I had a rope tied to me,'' said a dejected Looby, who has been advised to rest.

"I have no idea (what's wrong). I probably won't ride until the day before the (Bermuda) Grand Prix, because I've been doing a lot of mileage and that may be part of the problem -- overtraining.

"I'm going to take a break and see what happens.''