Road: Leipheimer Takes Over Tour of California Lead

Two-time, reigning Tour of California Champion Levi Leipheimer launched a salvo over the heads of the competition today by uncorking a blistering attack up Bonny Doon Road, the second and final climb of the day. Set-up by his teammate Yaroslav Popovych—who splintered the field by setting a furious pace at the base of the climb—Leipheimer attacked the roughly six-mile climb up Bonny Doon with a pace that the competition simply couldn’t match. With his sights set on the overall lead and the ten-man breakaway up the road, Leipheimer steadily charged up Bonny Doon, eventually pulling-back the break’s nearly three-minute advantage to take the lead.

With only one rider from the break able to stay on his wheel—fellow American Thomas Peterson—the Santa Cruz-resident Leipheimer used his intimate knowledge of the descent into his adopted hometown to maintain the critical gap over the re-grouped and charging peloton. With his sights set on the much bigger prize, Leipheimer was content to concede the stage victory to Peterson, who easily out-sprinted him to the line. Second on the day, and the new leader of the Tour of California—Leipheimer and his powerful Astana team are sitting in the driver’s seat, with a third consecutive ToC Championship looming on the horizon.