Sunday, February 24, 2008

Tour de California Winner

"American Levi Leipheimer successfully defended his Tour of California title on Sunday, winning the eight-day, 1,069-kilometre race by 49 seconds.
Leipheimer, who held the race lead for the final five days, finished 22nd in the main field on the final stage and claimed the overall title ahead of Briton David Millar.
Christian Vande Velde of the U.S. was third overall in the third edition of the race, trailing Leipheimer by one minute, eight seconds.
Compatriot George Hincapie a Tour de France stage winner and a team mate of Lance Armstrong in each of his seven titles in France, claimed the rainy 150.2-kilometre final stage in three hours, 50 minutes, 57 seconds.
Australian Rory Sutherland was second in the stage, with American Jason McCartney third, both in the same time as Hincapie.
A field of 132 began the race but illness, five rainy and windy stage and an arduous seven-hour fourth stage depleted the field and left only 77 finishers.
Leipheimer, who won the 19th stage of last year's Tour de France, placed sixth in the inaugural Tour of California in 2006. He won by 21 seconds over Jens Voigt of Germany last year.
Leipheimer assumed the race lead with his second place in the road race third stage on Wednesday. He built his margin to his eventual winning advantage with a dominating individual time trial win in the fifth stage in Solvang."