Photo by Ken Conley

Leipheimer Retains Overall Lead Heading Into Stage 7 of the Amgen Tour of California

SOLVANG, CA – Fans lined up ten deep in some places along the 15-mile individual time trial route in Solvang to welcome world-class cyclists from 17 professional teams for the critical Stage 6 individual time trial of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California. After completing the longest day of the race yesterday, the riders were faced with a course that was dominated by Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Astana for the third consecutive year. Besting four-time U.S. National Individual Time Trial Champion David Zabriskie (USA) of Garmin-Slipstream by eight seconds, Leipheimer further built on his overall lead in the 2009 race to 36 seconds and will wear the Amgen Leader Jersey going into Stage 7 tomorrow.

Moving into second and third overall were Zabriskie and three-time individual time trial world champion Michael Rogers (AUS) of Team Columbia-Highroad, respectively.

“This is the fourth year for the Amgen Tour of California and every year this stage is important,” said Leipheimer. “The overall race this year has been tougher. We’ve had one more day before the time trial and we’ve had some bad weather; the race is split up this year. Of course we have two hard days to come, but today has made the biggest difference.”

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Stage 6 top-five finishers:
1 - Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana
2 - David Zabriskie (USA), Garmin-Slipstream
3 - Gustav Larsson (SWE), Team Saxo Bank
4 - Michael Rogers (AUS), Team Columbia-High Road
5 - Jens Voigt (GER), Team Saxo Bank

General Classification top-five standings as of Stage 6:
1 - Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana
2 - David Zabriskie (USA), Garmin-Slipstream
3 - Michael Rogers (AUS), Team Columbia-High Road
4 - Jens Voigt (GER), Team Saxo Bank
5 - Thomas Lövkvist (SWE), Team Columbia-High Road

Stage 6 jersey winners include:
Amgen Race Leader Jersey- Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana
Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Rider Jersey- George Hincapie (USA), Team Columbia-High Road)
Herbalife Sprint Jersey- Mark Cavendish (GBR), Team Columbia-High Road
Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey- Robert Gesink (NED), Rabobank
California Travel & Tourism Commission King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey- Francisco Mancebo (ESP), Rock Racing

Ben Coates is back to show us the Trek TTX 9.9 SSL, the time trialing bike of choice for Team Astana. Here we have Lance Armstrong’s TTX geared up with SRAM Red components, including a brand new to competition SRAM return shifting R2 shifter. The Tour of California will be it’s debut, also new to the Astana gear truck is the new Aeolus 9.0 wheelset, soon to be available as a set, the team will be riding new new wheel in the front.

Ben Oliver, head mechanic of the Bissell Pro Cycling Team, shows us current New Zealand Time Trialing Champ Jeremy Vennell’s Pinarello FM1. A “Fantastic” looking bike, it’s all black with white lettering to celebrate his New Zealand Champion status. The FM1 utilizes a 1k weave and a different layup schedule, but shares the same shapes and geometries as the Montello. The team will be riding a new 90mm profile front TT wheel from Easton, currently in prototype form.

Ian, head mechanic of BMC, is back to show us Alex Moos’ BMC Time Machine TT01 that he’ll be using at this year’s Tour of California. Built up using Campagnolo 10 speed Record (because Campy has yet to release 11 speed specific groups for TT purposes).

Levi Leipheimer (USA), General Classification Leader
Astana
On today’s race:
“It has been a real, hard and fast day; surprisingly fast. At some point, the contenders looked like they might lose ground, but they caught back up.”

On tomorrow’s race:
“It’s going to be a big showdown tomorrow. You have the three-time World Champion Michal Rogers and Dave Zabriskie, the National Champion, so it will be special. I’m actually really looking forward to it. I feel good; I’ve felt great throughout the whole race. I feel pretty awesome about keeping the lead.”

Mark Cavendish (GBR), First Place, Stage 5
Team Columbia-Highroad
On today’s race:
“This was the day that I was planning on winning this year. It was a hard day; harder than expected. It seems like they’ve replicated the Tour de France with the speed and the par course. It has been incredibly hard. There was a strong breakaway and we had to do everything to bring them back and we finally pulled it back. It was a case of doing what my team does the best in world. George took me out to the last kilometer and then Mark Renshaw dropped me off at 200 meters to go. There were a lot of trains going out to the finish; all of the top sprinting teams were going for it. It was a battle of the teams and fortunately we came out on top.”

“This stage win is massively important. Any stage in the Amgen Tour of California is big. It’s big for the team and it’s big for the sponsors, but it’s a bit more personal when it’s close to home. Every other stage is important, but this one is a bit more personal.”

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Photo by Ken Conley

Leipheimer Retains Overall Lead Heading Into Critical Individual Time Trial on Friday

PASO ROBLES, CA – Enthusiastic crowds turned out at the start of the race today in Visalia as race leaders Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Astana, Michael Rogers (AUS) of Team Columbia-Highroad, David Zibriskie (USA) of Garmin-Slipstream and Lance Armstrong (USA) of Astana led the peloton into Stage 5 of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California. Equally impressive crowds lined the streets in Paso Robles to witness the incredible sprint to the finish line that saw Mark Cavendish (GBR) of Team Columbia-Highroad take his second consecutive stage win in the 2009 Amgen Tour of California. Leipheimer maintained the overall lead after coming in 15th place in the longest stage of the race. Day six of the 2009 race included no King of the Mountain competitions, but two sprint competitions on a flat, fast day of racing that took the riders from Visalia to Paso Robles.

Moving into second and third overall were Rogers and Zabriskie, respectively.

“This was the day that I was planning on winning this year,” said Cavendish. “It was a hard day; harder than expected. It seems like they’ve replicated the Tour de France with the speed and the par course. It has been incredibly hard.”

Team Columbia-Highroad again delivered Cavendish to the finish line at the front, where he sprang off the lead-out wheels to win with ease. And once again it was Quick Step’s Tom Boonen (BEL) who finished second in the stage, just ahead of Pedro Horrillo (ESP) of Rabobank.

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Photo by Ken Conley

Photo by Ken Conley

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Mark Cavendish out-sprints Tom Boonen for a second day in a row to win Stage 5 of the Tour of California.

Stage 5 top-five finishers:
1 - Mark Cavendish (GBR), Team Columbia-High Road
2 - Tom Boonen (BEL), Quick Step
3 - Pedro Horrillo (ESP), Rabobank
4 - Francesco Chicchi (ITA), Liquigas
5 - Thor Hushovd (NOR), Cevelo Test Team

General Classification top-five standings as of Stage 5:
1 - Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana
2 - Michael Rogers (AUS), Team Comumbia-High Road
3 - David Zabriskie (USA), Garmin-Slipstream
4 - Lance Armstrong (USA), Astana
5 - Christopher Horner (USA), Astana

Stage 5 jersey winners include:
Amgen Race Leader Jersey- Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana
Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Rider Jersey- Mathew Crane (USA), Jelly Belly
Herbalife Sprint Jersey- Mark Cavendish (GBR), Team Columbia-High Road
Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey- Robert Gesink (NED), Rabobank
California Travel & Tourism Commission King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey- Francisco Mancebo (ESP), Rock Racing

We caught up with Phil White before the Prologue in Sacramento and got the specs of the team’s TT rigs straight from the co-founder of Cervelo himself. Phil also spoke to us a little bit about the new team and what the goals are for the team this year, as well as when you’ll be able to find the new Cervelo P4 at your local bike shop.