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| Photo by Ken Conley |
With a solid ITT performance, Levi Leipheimer holds onto the Gold Jersey for another day.
Full General Classification results after the click.
By Stephanie Gutowski
Chechu Rubiera has had quite an amazing career beginning in 1995 with Artiach. He had his first major win at the Giro d’Italia as a young Kelme rider in 1997. He turned down a Cofidis offer to ride for US Postal Services and Lance Armstrong in 2001. He rode with Armstrong in US Postal Services and Discovery Channel. Rubiera will now ride his final year with Astana. Rubiera has decided to retire at the end of this season. RoadBikeReview caught up with this incredible climber in Palo Alto.
I last saw you race, here in the States, at the San Francisco Grand Prix….
I love that race!! It’s a pity they do not do that race anymore. For me that race was the nicest race of the season. It was so wonderful. The course was fun, the nice weather, the beautiful city and the atmosphere was great. It was at the end of the season so there was no pressure. We all enjoyed that race.
How did the decision to go to Astana work out? Did you wait for Astana?
I did not wait. The fact is I did not have an offer. I had been in touch with Rock Racing and a few weeks later Johan called me. What I wanted to do was to race one more year and then stop. It’s good to stop when you want to stop.
(more…)
Levi rode into the coveted Amgen Tour of California leaders jersey today on a specially painted US Champion stars and stripes Madone 6.9. We checked in with Scott Daubert of Trek to talk about the Madone 6.9 to understand what makes this bike stand out from the rest of the peloton.
Levi’s bike, painted in the US Champs Stars and Stripes
The new Madone’s beefy headtube, standard 1.8″ at the top and 1.5″ at the bottom
(more…)
Levi Leipheimer (USA), General Classification Leader
Astana
On today’s race:
“We knew that today was going to be important. I think this stage was the hardest stage in the three-year history of the Amgen Tour of California. It was a day with a few tough, but really beautiful, climbs. The Mt. Hamilton climb turned out to be really hard, and our team had something to prove today. I just didn’t want to let the guys down. Our morale is really good right now; we needed this win.”
On working with Robert Gesink to win:
“I think it worked out because I was conservative going over the top, but by the time I got to the finish, I had nothing left. I predicted yesterday that Gesink would be my ally today; he’s a huge talent and a star of the future. I’m glad he got the stage win, and thanks to our working together, I’m back in the Amgen Leader Jersey for the first time this race. I’m going to try to keep it until Pasadena, and with a team like Astana, I’m confident we can do this.”
On beating Cancellara and Millar, two of the world’s best time trialists, to the finish:
“To tell you the truth, I don’t know how Gesink and I stayed away. I was a little frustrated because I had been in that position before and I wasn’t really ready to commit everything yet. I was pulling through with the intention to make it, but I knew it was a long way. I was asking my team manager for information, and when I heard it was Cancellara and Millar, I thought there was no way we could make it, but the gap didn’t come down. Cancellara’s performance really surprised me today. It’s a great indication of how well he is performing right now.”
On the crowds during the race:
“In Modesto, and all throughout the race, even in the outback, the crowds again have been superb. I think they were suffering a lot on the Summit (Mt. Hamilton, where it was 38 degrees and foggy), so I want to thank them for encouraging me and all of the riders to do our best on a very tough stage.”
Rabobank’s Robert Gesink Wins Stage 3 As Challenging Day Separates Riders and Shakes Up Remaining General Classification Leaders
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| Photo by Ken Conley |
SAN JOSE, CA – After completing one of the most challenging and defining stages of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California, which included the brutal Mt. Hamilton (Hors Category) and Sierra Road (Cat. 1) climbs, cycling’s new generation shined again as 21-year-old Robert Gesink (NED) of Rabobank took the stage win. While Santa Rosa California resident Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Astana was outsprinted by Gesink for the stage win, the defending champion none-the-less gained the event’s overall lead. As the one of most difficult stages in the 2008 Amgen Tour of California, the 103-mile Stage 3 course from Modesto to San Jose featured 165 turns and two critical climbs that separated the pack.
“This win is really great for me because the field of riders is very competitive in the Amgen Tour of California,” said Gesink. “Today was a really big win for our team; we were strong as a team today.”
After struggling early on due to a stomach virus, Tyler Farrar (USA) of Slipstream Chipotle Presented by H30, who won the Amgen Leader Jersey the day before in Sacramento, abandoned the race after the second climb.
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| Photo by Ken Conley |
Stage 3 Results:
First Place - Robert Gesink (NED), Rabobank
Second Place - Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana
Third Place - Jurgen Vandewalle (BEL), QuickStep
Overall Results (General Classification):
First Place - Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana
Second Place - Fabian Cancellara (ARG), Team CSC
Third Place - Robert Gesink (NED), Rabobank
Stay tuned, full stage recap and photo galleries to come.
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