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Leipheimer repeats opening win at Tour of California
Defying an increasing wind that saw the likes of world time-trial champion Fabian Cancellara (CSC) fall out of contention, Levi Leipheimer stormed to the Amgen Tour of California prologue win on Sunday atop Telegraph Hill in San Francisco.
The last rider to leave the starting house, Leipheimer flew down the flat one-mile stretch of The Embarcadero along the water before turning onto the steep Telegraph Hill climb towards Coit Tower with pitches as steep as 22 percent.
But despite the numerous ProTour riders who had gone before him, including three-time world time-trial champion Michael Rogers (T-Mobile), Cancellara and Ivan Basso (Discovery), Leipheimer was out to beat the time of an unheard-of rider, Jason Donald (Slipstream-Chipotle) who in his first-ever race as a pro set the early best time of 4:50 on the 1.9-mile course.
Who is Jason Donald?
Wind may have played a role in the riders’ times. Donald, a 27-year-old former collegiate cross-country runner, was the seventh of 144 riders to start. He moved into the lead by bumping the second rider to start, Ben Jacques-Maynes (Priority Health), who turned a 4:54, which would eventually earn him a third-place podium spot.
Neither American rider believed their times would withstand the ProTour onslaught of riders from Crédit Agricole, CSC, Discovery Channel, Predictor-Lotto, Rabobank and Gerolsteiner. In fact, Jacques-Maynes had started his drive home to nearby San Jose after his ride.
Donald could scarcely comprehend his accomplishment as he crossed the line, seconds ahead of the winning time Leipheimer set on last year’s identical course.
"With 50 meters to go I saw 4:48," Donald said. "I knew what Levi’s time [4:53] was last year. And I couldn’t believe it, that my time would hold up."
Donaldson was still dazed at the post-race press conference.
"I’ve never had so many people take pictures of me like this," he said. "And I’m not talking about now, I’m talking about before the race. This is the big show. And this is a pretty amazing way to start it off."
Asked how he felt to have beaten Cancellara and world road champion Paolo Bettini, Donald sat quietly for a few seconds.
"I don’t know what to say to that," he said. "They’re amazing athletes. For anyone to be putting me on that same level is quite an honor and pretty hard for me to believe. I’m going to try not to think about that too much."
Leipheimer does the double
In stark contrast to Donald, Leipheimer was all calm and poise after his dominating ride of 4:49. After his all-out assault on Telegraph Hill, where thousands of fans roared their support, Leipheimer did a quick cool-down, kissed his wife and then addressed the crowd, which was crammed into any available space on the finishing hill.
"I was just super-motivated to win today," Leipheimer said over the announcer’s microphone. "Everybody came back talking about this headwind, the wind had changed. I think a few years ago it would have affected me. But I just told myself, 'I have to win today.' I knew exactly the pace I had to go. Johan did an awesome job. It’s great to be back with Johan because he knows exactly what to say behind me."
Now, just like last year, Leipheimer will roll into his hometown of Santa Rosa with the leader’s jersey on his back.
"I’m ecstatic to lead the race in to my hometown for a second year in a row," Leipheimer said. "There was more pressure on me this year. Last year I wanted to do a great prologue, but I didn’t expect to win. This year a lot of people expected me to win.
"A few of my teammates and Johan came back from the course and said there’s a little bit of a situation. The wind has changed, and none of the favorites were able to beat the early time set by Jason Donald. I said, ‘Don’t tell me this stuff,’ because I felt great and I didn’t want any negative thoughts in my head."
Unlike last year when he rode for Gerolsteiner, Leipheimer will now have the full might of Discovery Channel behind him, instead of against him. Discovery’s team includes Giro d’Italia winner Basso, double Tour of California stage winner George Hincapie and Tom Danielson. Upon finishing the prologue, each of these men immediately wanted to know their times and standings. None recognized the name of Jason Donald, who now sits a second behind the leader’s jersey.
Dave Zabriskie, CSC’s other time-trial specialist, was impressed by Donald’s ride, but not shocked, as many ProTour riders were.
"That’s just the way cycling is," he said. "People take this race seriously. It’s a good opportunity for him to show himself."
Heading into Stage 1, a 97-mile ride from Sausalito to Santa Rosa that includes two Cat. 4 climbs, Donald could theoretically take the leader’s jersey from Leipheimer with a time bonus at one of the three sprint points.
"It’s hard to believe that Levi Leipheimer has to worry about me," Donald said. "Probably not much longer than today, but it’s hard to believe."
Amgen Tour of California
Prologue
1. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Discovery Channel, 1.9mi in 4:49:050
2. Jason Donald (USA), Slipstream-Chipotle, 4:50.497
3. Ben Jacques-Maynes (USA), Priority Health-Bissel, 4:54.226
4. Rory Sutherland (Aus), Health Net-Maxxis, 4:54.669
5. Fabian Cancellara (Swi), CSC, 4:55.098
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