Post Stage 3 Quotes - “That was my fault. I just looked down for one second and…
Levi Leipheimer (USA), General Classification Leader
Astana
On today’s crash:
“That was my fault. I just looked down for one second and it was windy and everyone moved to the left and right and the next thing I knew, there was a touch of the wheel. Usually you can put your foot down and pull it out, but not today. I went down. It was actually one of those crashes that hurts really bad right away, but goes away, so I think that’s a good sign. With Chris (Horner) crashing, the gap got a lot bigger so we had to shut it down; without the crash, it would have been a lot easier. The circuit we very, very nerve racking. It’s the first time we’ve done that this year and now it’s back to racing. I forget how hectic it can be. It hurts but it happens. I didn’t break anything. I’ve done it before; it’s not big deal”
Thor Hushovd (NOR), First Place, Stage 3
Cervelo Test Team
On the race today:
“My teammates, including Hayden Roulston, started with one kilometer to go, and then Dominique Rollin pulled to just the last corner. Then, Lancaster (Bret) and I started to pass him (Jeff Louder) with only 150 meters to go, so our team did a great job today. I’m really proud of them.”
On his team:
“This is the first time I’ve been riding with these guys. I know that with these guys, we are one of the best lead-out teams in the world, and I think we showed that today. With these guys, I’m looking forward to the future and chances for another sprint.”
On doing one lap versus two at the finish:
“I think it was enough with the one lap, but it’s good that we passed the finish line once so we could see finish course.”
Mark Renshaw (AUS), Third Place, Stage 3
Team Columbia-Highroad
On the race today:
“Today’s finish was extremely dangerous with the turns and the wet conditions. With one kilometer to go, I knew he (Mark Cavendish) was behind me, but as we turned into the final straight, I turned around and he wasn’t there. I tried to do the best sprint I could, and I was hoping he’d find my wheel again. It is a little disappointing; we put in a lot of work today, but that’s how it goes. Maybe we’ll get another chance this week.”
“We had committed a few guys early on to bring back the break, so we sacrificed a bit, but the dangerous conditions near the end is where we let it come undone. I think it was just the wet roads and the cat eyes (raised, reflective lane dividers) and Mark got knocked off my wheel just before the final corners, but when that happens you just have to come back from that.”
“Just before last corner, Mark lost my wheel; I think it was one of the Rock Racing riders. Unfortunately, I got a rider in between George (Hincapie) and myself, and then when the sprint started, Mark lost the wheel. Having guys in between me and Cavendish made it hard to work as a unit today.”
On coming from Australia and racing in the bad weather:
“It is extremely different for me to come from Australia and ride in the rain; it’s a bit of a shock to my system. You just have to do your best to try and remember to eat and drink more since you are using more calories. Apart from that, there is the danger of the road being wet; it makes for a tough day.”
On doing one lap versus two at the finish:
“We had a need to come through and do one lap. If we would have ridden another lap, the bunch would have been a lot smaller. With the group that tight, it was probably a good decision to only do one lap.”
Bradley White (USA), Amgen Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Rider Jersey Winner, Stage 3
OUCH presented by Maxxis
On his performance today:
“This was definitely a big day for me. OUCH brought me on this year because of my aggressive style of racing, so I was really happy to bring the team some recognition today through riding with the break.”
On the weather:
“The weather today was better than the last two days, but it was still hard. The wind made it hard for the break, but it was a good day all in all.”
“It has definitely been cold and wet and everyone has been suffering through it. It has definitely been dangerous, but everyone has been taking corners a little easier. There are obstacles in the road that you have to be really careful for. The first day seemed to me to be the coldest since we didn’t know how to dress, but now we know. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll see some change.”
On how he keeps warm in the rain:
“For me, it’s definitely easier to put layers on, but it’s different for everyone. I just feel like it’s easier to take stuff off rather than put stuff on, so the key is to layer in the beginning.”
Jeff Louder (USA), Breakaway Leader for Majority of Race, Stage 3
Team BMC
On leading the break and then being caught with three kilometers to go:
“I was caught just after three kilometers. It’s disappointing, but it’s your job and you have to try and give it your all, and if it doesn’t work, you’ve got more days left. Really, just the goal of the team, of any rider, is to do your best and just do what we can. I put it all out there and came up short, so what can I say. When I got caught, I didn’t really know where the group was. There wasn’t a lot of information when I attacked, so I just went all out to the line, but the straights weren’t that long, so I couldn’t really see who was behind me. When we had 10 kilometers to go and I still had a one-minute lead, it’s kind of like getting caught with 500 meters to go. People make mistakes and I had hoped the peloton would mis-time their effort.”
On his performance in the Amgen Tour of California:
“It’s still really important for me to do well in the Amgen Tour of California. Just to have the opportunity to get to start in this race with my team is great to begin with. To be in this race with the high level of competitors is really an honor for me. I can’t tell you how many text and e-mails I’ve gotten just since the end of the race, because people turned on their TV today and saw me race. It’s a big deal for me and for all of the American riders. How I did in this race today is still kind of sinking in. Baring the bad weather, it has been an amazing experience already and there is still a lot to come.”
“I would have to rank today’s performance in my top-five. Again, this is still kind of sinking in; I’ll have to see how I feel tomorrow, but it’s quite an honor to be a part of such a big bike race and participate in a positive way to put BMC and myself out there and race aggressively.”
On how he recovers from racing in these conditions:
“You just really try to get as warm as possible as quickly as possible. You just have to take in more calories. When it’s cold, it’s a lot harder to maintain; you could end up not eating and drinking enough, so it becomes more crucial. Sometimes you even have to force-feed yourself just to try and stay warm. But psychologically, just knowing that people are there to take care of us is comforting because you need to mentally turn around so you can do it again the next day.”
Kenneth Chew, Local Breakaway from Cancer Survivor for the Breakaway Mile
“It has been a rough road, but really my support staff was my family, faith and a lot of the Memorial Hospital staff. They had programs that got me back on track. They started a cycling program and I like cycling, it’s my new hobby now. Maybe one day I’ll be up here with these guys (laughing). Cycling is awesome. A few months ago I was laid up and pretty close to giving up, and if you would have told me that I would be up on that stage today, I wouldn’t have believed you. It has been an amazing journey; a lot of good things have come out of it. It has been a life changing experience.”
“The Amgen Breakaway initiative has just been amazing; the resources that are available, the education and the things that you can learn about what you are going through and how to get through it. Amgen is doing some awesome things.”
Andrew Messick, President, AEG Sports
“Like the level of competition, the crowds here at the Amgen Tour of California continue to increase and get better each day. With BMC’s Jeff Louder holding the lead for quite some time and four of the top-five general classification leaders also being American, U.S. cycling has put on an incredible showing which could certainly continue throughout the remainder of the race.”
