Image 1 of 3 Defending Champion, Amber Halliday (Virgin Blue) has been injured at various times throughout 2010 including recently; not the best preparation for the Championships (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net) Image 2 of 3 Open women's time trial champion Amber Halliday points to her tattoo in respect for the late Amy Gillett who competed in these championships before she was tragically killed in a car accident in Germany. (Image credit: Shane Goss) Image 3 of 3 A well earned drink: Amber Halliday from South Australia quenches her thirst after winning the gold medal in the women's open road time trial in Buninyong. (Image credit: Shane Goss)

Former Australian time trial champion Amber Halliday is in critical but stable condition with head injuries after a crash at Monday's Rendition Homes-Santos Women's Cup race in Adelaide.

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The 31-year-old is in Royal Adelaide Hospital. She apparently clipped wheels with another rider early in the race, and lost consciousness when she hit her head.

According to a statement issued by her partner Mello Bouwmeester, "She is suffering from bleeding and bruising of the brain among some other injuries including facial fractures. Due to the nature of head traumas, we face a delicate wait to hear of more information."

"All of us are hoping she makes a quick recovery,” Chloe Hosking, who took the overall win in the two-day criterium series, told abc.net.au. "You don't want to see anyone crash and hurt themselves like Amber has."

Executive manager of Cycling SA, Max Stevens, said Halliday is a fighter.

"If anyone can get through something it's Amber Halliday," said Max Stevens, executive manager of Cycling South Australia. “She's a former world champion rower, she's an Australian champion cyclist and she is a tough customer.”

Halliday is a multiple world rowing champion, who has also competed twice in the Olympics. After the Beijing Olympics she retired from rowing and took up cycling. She won the national time trial title in January 2010 and was seventh this year.