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Leipheimer comes through at Solvang time trial

Slipstream-Chipotle riders now pose biggest challenge to Astana

Published: Feb. 22, 2008
Stage 5: Levi en route to victory
Stage 5: Levi en route to victory
Photo: Casey B. Gibson

Astana’s Levi Leipheimer took a substantial leap forward in his quest to defend his Amgen Tour of California victory, winning the stage 5 individual time trial in Solvang. The American, who was the final rider to leave the starting gate, finished the rolling 15-mile course in 30:47, 29 seconds up on British time trial champ David Millar (Slipstream-Chipotle), with American Christian Vande Velde in third at 45 seconds back.

World time trial champion Fabian Cancellara (CSC), who many thought could take the yellow jersey from the American in the race against the clock, finished a distant fifth, 1:05 down.

“I was nervous, to be honest, I am not going to act like I am a machine,” said Leipheimer, who came into the day a mere 13 seconds up on Cancellara. “I had my doubts, but I told myself to do my best, knowing that it’s going to be ugly, but that I’m going to fight to the end.”

While the stage didn’t produce a change in the leader’s jersey, it reshuffled the rest of the race’s top-five. With two stages remaining — the 105-mile journey from Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita, and the 93.4-mile jog from Santa Clarita to Pasadena — Leipheimer now holds a 49-second lead over Millar. Vande Velde sits in third at 1:08, and the CSC duo of Cancellara and Gustav Larsson round out the top-five at 1:18 and 1:19 down.

Still feeling stage 4...

All riders, Leipheimer included, came into the time trial nursing wounds from Thursday’s brutal 135-mile stage from Seaside to San Luis Obispo. The seven-hour journey, which saw the peloton pelted by blowing rain, chilling temperatures and a gusting headwind, sent 12 riders out of the race. Out of the 133 original starters, 102 riders showed up in downtown Solvang to race the time trial.

ATOC08-5: Leipheimer seems relieved that one's over.
ATOC08-5: Leipheimer seems relieved that one's over.
Photo: Graham Watson

“Yesterday was demanding physically, but mentally it was mind blowing,” said Team High Road’s Bradley Wiggins. “Everyone is going to be feeling it today.”

Riders braced for soggy conditions as Mother Nature sent morning drizzle and gusting winds at Solvang, located in California’s scenic Santa Ynez valley. But by the race’s noon starting time, sunshine peeked through the clouds, raising temperatures and drying the tarmac. Gusting winds swept through the valley from the west, making some of the route’s high-speed descents treacherous.

“I almost got thrown off the bike — a gust caught me on the first descent and I was horizontal,” said Vande Velde.

It was Wiggins, the 47th rider to leave the starting gate, who put up the first head-turning time, crossing the line in 32:16. The Olympic pursuit champion saw his time bested 15 minutes later by second-year pro Tom Zirbel of the Bissell squad. The ride was a career high for Zirbel, who lost most of his 2007 campaign to a blood clot in his back and a subsequent pulmonary embolism.

“It sucked to lose a year like that. I’m definitely more motivated this year and I expect to do well when I get on my time trial bike,” Zirbel said. “These guys are at the pinnacle of the sport and it’s a good chance for us domestic pros to measure ourselves against them.”

Zirbel’s moment of glory as stage leader was fleeting, as 20 minutes later Astana’s young gun Janez Brakovic set the new fastest time of 32:05. Zirbel’s eventual eighth-place finish, 1:24 down on Leipheimer, stood as the top performance by a domestic professional rider.

Zirbel’s teammate Ben Jacques-Maynes also put on an impressive performance, crossing the line in 9th place, one second behind Zirbel. The result bumped Jacques-Maynes up to 16th in general classification, where he now sits as the top-ranked domestic professional at 5:48 down.

“When you hold your own against ProTour riders, it’s something to point at,” Jacques-Maynes said. “Doing well in the time trial was a major team goal.”

Battle of the Titans

ATOC Stage 5: Cancellara
ATOC Stage 5: Cancellara
Photo: Casey B. Gibson

Solvang was a battle between the race’s world-class time trialists, as Cancellara, Millar, Dave Zabriskie (Slipstream-Chipotle) and Vande Velde all came into the day within 25 seconds of Leipheimer. Cancellara, who wowed the peloton by finishing the climb-heavy stage 3 from Modesto to San Jose a mere 19 seconds down on Leipheimer, appeared the most able rider to take down the American.

However midway through the 15-mile race Cancellara’s chances appeared grim — he was only the seventh-fastest rider at the mile 7.6 intermediary time check. While the big Swiss turned on the jets in the second half of the rolling course, the effort was not enough. At the finish, Cancellara admitted his ride fell below his standards.

“After these couple of days that we have behind us my condition is not super,” he said. “I did a really beautiful performance in the San Jose stage but today it was very hard.”

Leipheimer, however, attacked the stage with the same aggression and panache that earned him a time trial victory here in 2006. Leipheimer led from start to finish, doubling his intermediary advantage on Millar by the stage’s conclusion.

“I know the course well. I knew how to pace myself,” Leipheimer said. “With every passing kilometer I was yelling at myself. In the last corner, I told myself, ‘Don’t crash!’ because I was a little cross-eyed.”

Slipstream eyes yellow

While Leipheimer survived with the yellow jersey, it was the Slipstream-Chipotle duo of Millar and Vande Velde who proved the day’s biggest surprises. Millar owned the 2003 world time trial championship until his subsequent admission of EPO use in 2004 erased the title. Since returning to racing in 2006 he has attempted to regain the time trial success he had before his two-year suspension. Vande Velde, second at last year’s Tour de Georgia, has turned more heads with his strength as a climber.

Christian Vande Velde
Christian Vande Velde
Photo: Graham Watson

“I thought Dave [Millar] was going to have an incredible day today. He’s finally feeling very comfortable with the team and has become a real leader,” said Slipstream-Chipotle manager Jonathan Vaughters. “Christian was a surprise. That was f-ing awesome.”

Millar before the start of the stage 5 TT
Millar before the start of the stage 5 TT
Photo: Jon James

Heading into the final two stages CSC and Slipstream still pose the greatest threats to Leipheimer’s yellow jersey. Vaughters’ team has three riders within striking distance and the Colorado-based team director says his riders intend to ride for victory.

“It’s pretty plain to see that it’s going to be the obligation of CSC and ourselves to make Astana hurt for the win,” Vaughers said. “They are incredibly strong and capable of defending Levi’s lead. But I think we’re capable of ousting them. Which way it goes, well, that’s hard to predict.”


Race Note
After mass carnage on Thursday's epic stage, just two riders were cut from the race Friday after exceeding the time limit. Health Net riders Roman Kilun and Phil Zajicek were both suffering from the stomach virus that has hit the race.

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