Levi Leipheimer
Encyclopedia
Levi Leipheimer is an American professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour
team . His major results are winning the 2007–2009 editions of the Tour of California, the 2006 Dauphiné Libéré
and the 2005 Deutschland Tour
, coming in second in the 2008 Vuelta a España
, third in the 2001 Vuelta a España
, and having four top-ten finishes in the Tour de France
, including third overall in 2007. He lives in Santa Rosa, California
with his wife Odessa Gunn, though during the cycling season he primarily lives in Girona, Spain. Leipheimer won the 2007 USA road championship, 1m 11s ahead of Discovery teammate and defending champion George Hincapie
.
Leipheimer won the bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games road time trial
.
F.S. Maestro – Frigas team.
, which contains a form of the banned substance ephedrine
, to relieve hay fever
, and claimed that USA Cycling subsequently relaxed its standards regarding the use of such allergy medicines in competition. Ephedrine itself remains a banned substance when its concentration in urine is greater than 10 micrograms per milliliter.
Leipheimer's breakthrough came in the 2001 Vuelta a España
, his first Grand Tour
. He was riding well in support of team leader Roberto Heras
. Going into the final stage, an individual time trial
in Madrid, Leipheimer was fifth, trailing his leader, who was third, by about a minute. During that time trial, Leipheimer vaulted over two riders, including Heras, to finish third overall, the first American ever to reach the podium in the Vuelta.
. In 2003
he crashed in the first week and abandoned the race.
Leipheimer represented the United States in the 2004 Athens Olympics
road race, but did not finish. He finished ninth in the Tour de France
of that year.
Riding for the German team Gerolsteiner, Leipheimer finished 6th in the Tour de France. On August 23, 2005, Leipheimer won the Deutschland Tour
by 31 seconds, ahead of 's Jan Ullrich
and Gerolsteiner teammate Georg Totschnig
. He had solidified his lead by defeating Ullrich in stage four on the Rettenbachferner, the highest climb in European racing that year at 8,760 feet (2,670m).
In August 2010, Leipheimer was accused of having suspect blood values during the 2005 Tour de France
by Hans-Michael Holczer, his former team manager at Gerolsteiner, who was promoting his new book Garantiert Positiv (Guaranteed Positive, in English). According to Holczer, Leipheimer showed blood values that indicated a "high probability of blood manipulation" and were so suspicious that one UCI official suggested that he should be withdrawn from the race. Holczer said that he refused to withdraw Leipheimer because the team was "facing total bankruptcy" due to the sponsor's nervousness about the team's involvement in other doping scandals.
In February 2006, Leipheimer was a favorite to win the inaugural Tour of California. He took the leader's golden jersey on the first day by winning the prologue to San Francisco's
Coit Tower
, but George Hincapie
took it after stage two thanks to a 10-second bonus in the sprint in San José
. Leipheimer won the competition for best climber, taking sixth place overall, but Floyd Landis won the overall competition.
Leipheimer returned to form in June at the 2006 Dauphiné Libéré. He took third place in the individual time trial
and then took the overall lead with a dominant performance on the stage to Mont Ventoux
. He became the first American to win the Dauphiné since Armstrong in 2003.
Leipheimer was considered a contender in the 2006 Tour de France
after the favorites (including Ivan Basso
and Jan Ullrich
) were suspended because of the Operación Puerto doping case
. Because of this and Armstrong's retirement, none of the top five riders from 2005 competed in 2006, and Leipheimer, who had been sixth, was the highest-placed rider returning. However, a stage 7 time trial described as the worst of Leipheimer's career, put him five minutes behind the leader, in the middle of the pack, making a top 10 finish a challenge. Further losses in the first mountain stage hurt further, and made a top 20 finish questionable. But in stage 11, with five difficult climbs, Leipheimer produced a strong second place with the same time as stage winner, Denis Menchov
, and the new race leader, Floyd Landis
. This took Leipheimer from 58th to 13th, 5:39 behind Landis. His final position was 12th, 18 and half minutes behind winner Floyd Landis.
, who won. He placed third in the 2007 Tour de France, 31 seconds behind the winner, Contador. Leipheimer also won stage 19, the last individual time trial. Discovery Channel disbanded at the end of the season.
, former manager of U.S. Postal and Discovery Channel. Astana was banned from the 2008 Tour de France
on 13 February 2008 because of doping scandals in the 2007 Tour, although all involved in those scandals had been replaced. Leipheimer created a website to petition for admittance to the 2008 Tour.
Leipheimer won the 2008 Tour of California
. At the last minute, Astana was admitted to the Giro di Italia, and Leipheimer finished 18th, helping teammate Contador to victory. He won the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in the road time trial. Leipheimer won both time trials of the 2008 Vuelta a España
, leading the race after the first stage, and placing second overall behind Contador.
Leipheimer began 2009 by winning the Tour of California
for the third consecutive year. He broke away during the final climb of stage 2 and led after the stage. Leipheimer won stage 6, the Solvang
individual time trial
. Astana teammate Lance Armstrong
, in his second race after retirement, rode for Leipheimer. Leipheimer won the 2009 SRAM Tour of the Gila. He rode with Astana teammates Chris Horner and Armstrong, who finished second. UCI regulations meant the three rode as team Mellow Johnny's, the name of Armstrong's bike shop, instead of Astana. Horner finished eighth.
In May, Leipheimer rode for Astana in the Giro d'Italia and finished sixth overall, the team's best placement. Later, the second place finisher Danilo Di Luca tested positive for a banned substance and was stripped of his title, moving Leipheimer up to a fifth place finish in the records.
Riding with Astana in the 2009 Tour de France
, Leipheimer broke a wrist in a crash near the end of stage 12, when he was fourth overall, abandoning the race.
He won his second straight SRAM Tour of the Gila
in April. At the 2010 Tour de California
, facing stiff competition from Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions) and eventual winner Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia), Leipheimer had to settle for third place overall, breaking his three-year streak of victories. Strong performances by Rogers and Zabriskie in the penultimate Los Angeles time trial put Leipheimer 25 seconds behind going into the final stage, a challenging 84 mile circuit race in the mountainous terrain of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, and Agoura Hills. Leipheimer was a marked man, and that coupled with a mechanical issue on the last lap requiring a new bike left him unable to make up the 25 seconds, despite a strong RadioShack team (sans Armstrong, who had crashed out a few days before) and several late attacks by Leipheimer.
Leipheimer was favored to lead the team in California again for 2011
, but became the team's chief domestique instead, riding in support of Chris Horner
's eventual victory, after the latter posted a stronger time on mountainous stage four into San Jose. While riding for Horner, Leipheimer also won the very challenging stage finishing at Mount Baldy ski area, his first road stage victory in any Tour of California, and was second in the individual time trial. In his next race, the Tour of Switzerland
, Leipheimer conquered an early time deficit to eventually best the leading rider Damiano Cunego
, winning the overall race by 4 seconds in a nail-biting final time trial stage.
In the first annual USA Pro Cycling Challenge Levi entered fresh off his Tour Of Utah victory by grabbing the yellow jersey on the first stage as well as a stage one victory. He would go on to lose his yellow jersey after a struggling climb up stage 2, who was won by former team mate George Hincapie
. In an Epic stage 3, where the riders saw a vintage time trial in Vail mirroring the route in the original Coors Classic
of the late '80s, Levi put on a brilliant show and gained his yellow jersey back, as well as a second place finish in the stage. He would hold onto his yellow jersey and claim the overall victory of the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge
.
Even in a wild transfer season that’s seen sponsors jump teams (Omega Pharma, to Quick Step), successful programs fold for lack of sponsorship (HTC-Highroad), and top programs merge (RadioShack and Leopard-Trek), Leipheimer’s departure from RadioShack came as a surprise.
Along with Chris Horner, Leipheimer was one of the top Americans on a team that, while primarily Belgian in staff personnel, is sponsored by an American company that came on board in 2009 during Lance Armstrong’s comeback.
.
He and his wife are well-known animal lovers, and as of 2009, had six cats and two dogs. They are working to establish an animal refuge they will call Freedom Hill and state that they raise money for various animal welfare causes.
In 2009, he founded and led the King Ridge GranFondo, a recreational benefit bicycle ride based in Santa Rosa, California. Thousands of cyclists showed up for this inaugural event. As of May 2010, 5,500 cyclists had already registered for the October 2010 ride, with fewer than 500 spots still available.
1995
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WD=Withdrew
UCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
team . His major results are winning the 2007–2009 editions of the Tour of California, the 2006 Dauphiné Libéré
Dauphiné Libéré
The Critérium du Dauphiné is an annual cycling road race, run over eight stages in the Dauphiné region in France during the first half of June. The race was inaugurated by a local newspaper, the Dauphiné Libéré, which gave its name to the event...
and the 2005 Deutschland Tour
Deutschland Tour
The Deutschland Tour was the most important multi-stage road bicycle race in Germany. Initially the race was held in May/June. Since 2005 it is part of the UCI ProTour and has been moved to August...
, coming in second in the 2008 Vuelta a España
2008 Vuelta a España
The 2008 Vuelta a España was the 63rd edition of the Vuelta a España, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The event took place from 30 August to 21 September 2008 over 21 stages covering . The first stage was a team time trial in Granada. The event finished in Madrid 23 days later...
, third in the 2001 Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
, and having four top-ten finishes in the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, including third overall in 2007. He lives in Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
with his wife Odessa Gunn, though during the cycling season he primarily lives in Girona, Spain. Leipheimer won the 2007 USA road championship, 1m 11s ahead of Discovery teammate and defending champion George Hincapie
George Hincapie
George Hincapié Garcés is an American professional road bicycle racer currently riding for UCI ProTeam . Hincapie resides in Greenville, South Carolina...
.
Leipheimer won the bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games road time trial
Time trial
In many racing sports an athlete will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. In cycling, for example, a time trial can be a single track cycling event, or an individual or team time trial on the road, and either or both of the latter may form components of...
.
Career
Leipheimer began cycling in 1987 as cross-training for downhill ski racing. He was a competitive skier from ages 12–19, but switched his focus to full-time cycling.Maestro Frigas and Einstein (1995-1996)
In 1995 Leipheimer won the Tour of Namur as an intern for the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
F.S. Maestro – Frigas team.
Doping
On August 18, 1996, Leipheimer, riding for Team Einstein, won the U.S. National Criterium Championships when he lapped the field on the technically demanding Grandview Heights, Ohio, circuit. It was later reported by VeloNews that Leipheimer tested positive for a banned substance at the championship, and a disciplinary panel recommended that he return his title, prize money and jersey. The Leipheimer family, in a letter to the Montana Standard, confirmed the violation and sanction, claiming that Leipheimer had innocently used the allergy medicine Claritin-DLoratadine
Loratadine is a second-generation H1 histamine antagonist drug used to treat allergies. Structurally, it is closely related to tricyclic antidepressants such as imipramine, and distantly related to the atypical antipsychotic quetiapine. It is marketed by Schering-Plough under several trade names...
, which contains a form of the banned substance ephedrine
Ephedrine
Ephedrine is a sympathomimetic amine commonly used as a stimulant, appetite suppressant, concentration aid, decongestant, and to treat hypotension associated with anaesthesia....
, to relieve hay fever
Hay Fever
Hay Fever is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1924 and first produced in 1925 with Marie Tempest as the first Judith Bliss. Laura Hope Crews played the role in New York...
, and claimed that USA Cycling subsequently relaxed its standards regarding the use of such allergy medicines in competition. Ephedrine itself remains a banned substance when its concentration in urine is greater than 10 micrograms per milliliter.
Colorado Cyclist and Saturn (1997–1999)
Leipheimer turned pro in 1997 with the Colorado Cyclist team. In 1998, he changed teams and was hired by Team Saturn, with which he won the U.S. National Time Trial Championship in 1999.U.S. Postal (2000–2001)
Leipheimer joined the team in 2000.Leipheimer's breakthrough came in the 2001 Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
, his first Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
. He was riding well in support of team leader Roberto Heras
Roberto Heras
Roberto Heras Hernández is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer who won the Vuelta a España a record-tying three times. He broke the record with a fourth win in 2005, but was disqualified for taking EPO. In June 2011, Heras successfully appealed the disqualification in the civil court...
. Going into the final stage, an individual time trial
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
in Madrid, Leipheimer was fifth, trailing his leader, who was third, by about a minute. During that time trial, Leipheimer vaulted over two riders, including Heras, to finish third overall, the first American ever to reach the podium in the Vuelta.
Rabobank (2002–2004)
The Dutch team then recruited him as leader. In 2002, his first year with the new team, he finished eighth in his first Tour de FranceTour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
. In 2003
2003 Tour de France
The 2003 Tour de France started and ended in Paris. Lasting from July 5 to July 27 the race covered 3,427.5 km , proceeding clockwise in twenty stages around France, including six major mountain stages...
he crashed in the first week and abandoned the race.
Leipheimer represented the United States in the 2004 Athens Olympics
Cycling at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Cycling at the 2004 Summer Olympics had 18 events in three disciplines:*Road cycling, held at the Athens historic centre and in Vouliagmeni Olympic Centre ....
road race, but did not finish. He finished ninth in the Tour de France
2004 Tour de France
The 2004 Tour de France was the 91st, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 2004. It consisted of 20 stages over 3391 km.Lance Armstrong became the first to win six Tours de France. Armstrong had been favored to win, his competitors seen as being German Jan Ullrich, Spaniards Roberto Heras and...
of that year.
Gerolsteiner (2005–2006)
Deutschland Tour
The Deutschland Tour was the most important multi-stage road bicycle race in Germany. Initially the race was held in May/June. Since 2005 it is part of the UCI ProTour and has been moved to August...
by 31 seconds, ahead of 's Jan Ullrich
Jan Ullrich
Jan Ullrich is a German former professional road bicycle racer. In 1997, he was the first German to win the Tour de France. He went on to take five second places and a fourth in 2004 and third in 2005. He is considered one of the best time-trialists in the history of the sport...
and Gerolsteiner teammate Georg Totschnig
Georg Totschnig
Georg Totschnig is an Austrian former road bicycle racer who raced professionally between 1993 and 2006.-Career:In 1989, Totschnig became the Junior Austrian National Time Trial Champion. He turned professional with the Italian Lampre - Polti team in 1993, remaining with the team in 1994 when...
. He had solidified his lead by defeating Ullrich in stage four on the Rettenbachferner, the highest climb in European racing that year at 8,760 feet (2,670m).
In August 2010, Leipheimer was accused of having suspect blood values during the 2005 Tour de France
2005 Tour de France
The 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was...
by Hans-Michael Holczer, his former team manager at Gerolsteiner, who was promoting his new book Garantiert Positiv (Guaranteed Positive, in English). According to Holczer, Leipheimer showed blood values that indicated a "high probability of blood manipulation" and were so suspicious that one UCI official suggested that he should be withdrawn from the race. Holczer said that he refused to withdraw Leipheimer because the team was "facing total bankruptcy" due to the sponsor's nervousness about the team's involvement in other doping scandals.
In February 2006, Leipheimer was a favorite to win the inaugural Tour of California. He took the leader's golden jersey on the first day by winning the prologue to San Francisco's
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
Coit Tower
Coit Tower
Coit Tower is a tower in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The tower, in the city's Pioneer Park, was built in 1933 at the request of Lillie Hitchcock Coit to beautify the city of San Francisco; Coit bequeathed one-third of her estate to the city "to be expended in an...
, but George Hincapie
George Hincapie
George Hincapié Garcés is an American professional road bicycle racer currently riding for UCI ProTeam . Hincapie resides in Greenville, South Carolina...
took it after stage two thanks to a 10-second bonus in the sprint in San José
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. Leipheimer won the competition for best climber, taking sixth place overall, but Floyd Landis won the overall competition.
Leipheimer returned to form in June at the 2006 Dauphiné Libéré. He took third place in the individual time trial
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
and then took the overall lead with a dominant performance on the stage to Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald...
. He became the first American to win the Dauphiné since Armstrong in 2003.
Leipheimer was considered a contender in the 2006 Tour de France
2006 Tour de France
The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis....
after the favorites (including Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso is an Italian professional road bicycle racer who is currently racing with UCI ProTeam . Basso, nicknamed Ivan the Terrible, is among the best mountain riders in the professional field in the 21st century, and is considered one of the strongest stage race riders...
and Jan Ullrich
Jan Ullrich
Jan Ullrich is a German former professional road bicycle racer. In 1997, he was the first German to win the Tour de France. He went on to take five second places and a fourth in 2004 and third in 2005. He is considered one of the best time-trialists in the history of the sport...
) were suspended because of the Operación Puerto doping case
Operación Puerto doping case
Operación Puerto is the code name of a Spanish Police operation against the doping network of Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, started in May 2006, which resulted in a scandal that involved several of the world most famous cyclists at the time.Media attention has focused on the small number of...
. Because of this and Armstrong's retirement, none of the top five riders from 2005 competed in 2006, and Leipheimer, who had been sixth, was the highest-placed rider returning. However, a stage 7 time trial described as the worst of Leipheimer's career, put him five minutes behind the leader, in the middle of the pack, making a top 10 finish a challenge. Further losses in the first mountain stage hurt further, and made a top 20 finish questionable. But in stage 11, with five difficult climbs, Leipheimer produced a strong second place with the same time as stage winner, Denis Menchov
Denis Menchov
Denis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
, and the new race leader, Floyd Landis
Floyd Landis
Floyd Landis is an American retired cyclist who after initially being awarded victory in the 2006 Tour de France was stripped of his title for a doping offense. He was an all-around rider, with special skills in climbing and time-trialing, and is also known to be a very fast descender.Landis...
. This took Leipheimer from 58th to 13th, 5:39 behind Landis. His final position was 12th, 18 and half minutes behind winner Floyd Landis.
Team Discovery (2007)
Leipheimer re-signed with Tailwind Sports Corp. and Capital Sports & Entertainment, managing companies for the U.S. Postal and, later, the Discovery Channel cycling teams. Leipheimer was team leader in the 2007 Tour of California. He repeated his prologue win on the same course, won the stage 5 time trial, and led the race from start to finish. In the Paris-Nice race, he supported teammate Alberto ContadorAlberto Contador
Alberto Contador Velasco is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He was the winner of the 2007 Tour de France with the team. With the Astana team he has won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de France and won 2011 Giro...
, who won. He placed third in the 2007 Tour de France, 31 seconds behind the winner, Contador. Leipheimer also won stage 19, the last individual time trial. Discovery Channel disbanded at the end of the season.
The Astana years (2008–2009)
Leipheimer joined Astana, managed by Johan BruyneelJohan Bruyneel
Johan Bruyneel is a former road bicycle racer in professional cycling and a directeur sportif for UCI ProTour team . Retiring from racing in 1998, he became director of , a US-based UCI ProTour cycling team...
, former manager of U.S. Postal and Discovery Channel. Astana was banned from the 2008 Tour de France
2008 Tour de France
The 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
on 13 February 2008 because of doping scandals in the 2007 Tour, although all involved in those scandals had been replaced. Leipheimer created a website to petition for admittance to the 2008 Tour.
Leipheimer won the 2008 Tour of California
2008 Tour of California
The 2008 Tour of California was the third edition of an eight-day, 650-mile stage race, which began in Palo Alto , then raced through the California redwoods, wine country and the Pacific Coast and finished in Pasadena. The road bicycle racing event was held February 17–24...
. At the last minute, Astana was admitted to the Giro di Italia, and Leipheimer finished 18th, helping teammate Contador to victory. He won the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in the road time trial. Leipheimer won both time trials of the 2008 Vuelta a España
2008 Vuelta a España
The 2008 Vuelta a España was the 63rd edition of the Vuelta a España, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The event took place from 30 August to 21 September 2008 over 21 stages covering . The first stage was a team time trial in Granada. The event finished in Madrid 23 days later...
, leading the race after the first stage, and placing second overall behind Contador.
Leipheimer began 2009 by winning the Tour of California
2009 Tour of California
The 2009 Amgen Tour of California was the 4th running of an annual cycling race contained within the state of California. The event was staged February 14–22 and began with a prologue in the state capital of Sacramento. The event was held as part of the schedule of both the UCI America Tour and USA...
for the third consecutive year. He broke away during the final climb of stage 2 and led after the stage. Leipheimer won stage 6, the Solvang
Solvang, California
Solvang is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. The population was 5,245 at the 2010 census, down from 5,332 at the 2000 census...
individual time trial
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
. Astana teammate Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
, in his second race after retirement, rode for Leipheimer. Leipheimer won the 2009 SRAM Tour of the Gila. He rode with Astana teammates Chris Horner and Armstrong, who finished second. UCI regulations meant the three rode as team Mellow Johnny's, the name of Armstrong's bike shop, instead of Astana. Horner finished eighth.
In May, Leipheimer rode for Astana in the Giro d'Italia and finished sixth overall, the team's best placement. Later, the second place finisher Danilo Di Luca tested positive for a banned substance and was stripped of his title, moving Leipheimer up to a fifth place finish in the records.
Riding with Astana in the 2009 Tour de France
2009 Tour de France
The 2009 Tour de France was the 96th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on 4 July in the principality of Monaco with a individual time trial which included a section of the Circuit de Monaco...
, Leipheimer broke a wrist in a crash near the end of stage 12, when he was fourth overall, abandoning the race.
Team RadioShack (2010–2011 )
Leipheimer moved to for 2010, staying with Armstrong and others from Astana's 2009 team.He won his second straight SRAM Tour of the Gila
Tour of the Gila
The Tour of the Gila is a cycling stage race for both men and women located in New Mexico, USA. It is currently sponsored by the component maker SRAM. The "Gila" began in 1987....
in April. At the 2010 Tour de California
2010 Tour of California
The 2010 Tour of California was the fifth running of the Tour of California cycling stage race. It was held from May 16–23, and was the first edition of the race held in the month of May, after the first four occurred in February. It was rated as a 2.HC event on the UCI America Tour...
, facing stiff competition from Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions) and eventual winner Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia), Leipheimer had to settle for third place overall, breaking his three-year streak of victories. Strong performances by Rogers and Zabriskie in the penultimate Los Angeles time trial put Leipheimer 25 seconds behind going into the final stage, a challenging 84 mile circuit race in the mountainous terrain of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, and Agoura Hills. Leipheimer was a marked man, and that coupled with a mechanical issue on the last lap requiring a new bike left him unable to make up the 25 seconds, despite a strong RadioShack team (sans Armstrong, who had crashed out a few days before) and several late attacks by Leipheimer.
Leipheimer was favored to lead the team in California again for 2011
2011 Tour of California
The 2011 Amgen Tour of California was the sixth running of the Tour of California cycling stage race. It was held from May 15–22, and was rated as a 2.HC event on the UCI America Tour. Originally scheduled for eight stages, the race was due to begin in South Lake Tahoe, but snow around the Lake...
, but became the team's chief domestique instead, riding in support of Chris Horner
Chris Horner
Christopher Horner is an American professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . A native and current resident of Bend, Oregon, Horner dominated the American road racing scene by winning the points standings in the 2002, 2003 and 2004 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar.-PAA-NutraFig...
's eventual victory, after the latter posted a stronger time on mountainous stage four into San Jose. While riding for Horner, Leipheimer also won the very challenging stage finishing at Mount Baldy ski area, his first road stage victory in any Tour of California, and was second in the individual time trial. In his next race, the Tour of Switzerland
2011 Tour de Suisse
The 2011 Tour de Suisse was the 75th running of the Tour de Suisse cycling stage race. It started on 11 June with an individual time trial in Lugano and ended with another individual time trial on 19 June, in Schaffhausen...
, Leipheimer conquered an early time deficit to eventually best the leading rider Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rides for the Italian UCI ProTeam . His biggest wins are the 2004 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Amstel Gold Race, and the Giro di Lombardia in 2004, 2007, 2008. He finished second in the UCI Road World Championships in 2008 and in the...
, winning the overall race by 4 seconds in a nail-biting final time trial stage.
In the first annual USA Pro Cycling Challenge Levi entered fresh off his Tour Of Utah victory by grabbing the yellow jersey on the first stage as well as a stage one victory. He would go on to lose his yellow jersey after a struggling climb up stage 2, who was won by former team mate George Hincapie
George Hincapie
George Hincapié Garcés is an American professional road bicycle racer currently riding for UCI ProTeam . Hincapie resides in Greenville, South Carolina...
. In an Epic stage 3, where the riders saw a vintage time trial in Vail mirroring the route in the original Coors Classic
Coors Classic
The Coors International Bicycle Classic was a stage race sponsored by the Coors Brewing Company. Coors was the race's second sponsor, the first, Celestial Seasonings, named the race after its premium tea Red Zinger, which began in 1975...
of the late '80s, Levi put on a brilliant show and gained his yellow jersey back, as well as a second place finish in the stage. He would hold onto his yellow jersey and claim the overall victory of the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge
2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge
The 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge was the inaugural running of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge stage race. It was held from August 22–28, and was rated as a 2.1 event on the UCI America Tour...
.
Omega Pharma/ Quickstep (2012 )
After spending the best five years of his career riding for teams run by Johan Bruyneel, American Levi Leipheimer is leaving the Belgian’s leadership to ride for the Omega Pharma-Quick Step team, run by another Belgian, Patrick Lefevere.Even in a wild transfer season that’s seen sponsors jump teams (Omega Pharma, to Quick Step), successful programs fold for lack of sponsorship (HTC-Highroad), and top programs merge (RadioShack and Leopard-Trek), Leipheimer’s departure from RadioShack came as a surprise.
Along with Chris Horner, Leipheimer was one of the top Americans on a team that, while primarily Belgian in staff personnel, is sponsored by an American company that came on board in 2009 during Lance Armstrong’s comeback.
Personal life
Leipheimer met Canadian professional cyclist Odessa Gunn at a World Cup event in Philadelphia in 1997. Leipheimer sent her a plane ticket to visit him in California, and, as Gunn put it, "I never left." They married in 2000 and live in Santa Rosa, CaliforniaSanta Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
.
He and his wife are well-known animal lovers, and as of 2009, had six cats and two dogs. They are working to establish an animal refuge they will call Freedom Hill and state that they raise money for various animal welfare causes.
In 2009, he founded and led the King Ridge GranFondo, a recreational benefit bicycle ride based in Santa Rosa, California. Thousands of cyclists showed up for this inaugural event. As of May 2010, 5,500 cyclists had already registered for the October 2010 ride, with fewer than 500 spots still available.
Major results
1995
- 1st Overall Tour de la province de Namur
1997
- 1 Stage of Cascade Cycling ClassicCascade Cycling ClassicThe Cascade Cycling Classic is the longest consecutively run elite road bicycle racing stage race in the United States . It takes place in the Central Oregon region and is based in Bend, Oregon. It is a regular fixture for most of North America's top cyclists and teams. In recent years the race has...
- Prologue Tour de ToonaInternational Tour de ToonaThe International Tour de Toona is a stage bicycle race held in Central Pennsylvania each July. The International Tour de Toona bicycle race started as a one day race and was initially called the Tour de Toona because it was based in Altoona, Pennsylvania...
1998
- 1st Overall Tour de BeauceTour de BeauceTour de Beauce is a men's elite professional road bicycle racing multi-day event held each June in the Beauce region of Quebec, Canada since 1986...
- 1st Stage 3
1999
- 1st
National Time Trial ChampionUnited States National Time Trial ChampionshipsThe United States National Time Trial Championships are held annually to decide the American champions in this discipline, across various age and gender categories.... - 1st Overall Tour de BeauceTour de BeauceTour de Beauce is a men's elite professional road bicycle racing multi-day event held each June in the Beauce region of Quebec, Canada since 1986...
- 1st Stage 3
- 2nd Pan American GamesCycling at the 1999 Pan American GamesThe cycling competition at the 1999 Pan American Games was held in Winnipeg, Canada.-Men's Individual Road Race:* Held on August 4 over 203.3 kilometres-Men's Road Time Trial:* Held on July 25 over 55.2 kilometres-Men's 1000 m Track Time Trial:...
Men's Road Race - 3rd Sea Otter ClassicSea Otter ClassicSea Otter Classic is a bicycling and outdoor life sports festival and trade show held on the former Fort Ord in Monterey, California since 1990. The classic is named in honor of the sea otter, an indigenous mammal which flourishes on the neighboring Pacific Coast.The Sea Otter Classic offers...
2000
- 1st Stage 2 Circuit Franco-BelgeCircuit Franco-BelgeThe Tour de Wallonie-Picarde is a stage race cycling race held annually in Belgium and France. Since 2005, the race has been organized as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour- Winners :...
2001
- 1st Stage 5 Redlands Bicycle ClassicRedlands Bicycle ClassicThe Redlands Bicycle Classic is a cycling stage race located in Redlands, California, USA that has been held since 1985. It consists of two road races, a Individual Time Trial and a Criterium....
- 1st Mountains Classification
- 1st Stage 1 Sea Otter ClassicSea Otter ClassicSea Otter Classic is a bicycling and outdoor life sports festival and trade show held on the former Fort Ord in Monterey, California since 1990. The classic is named in honor of the sea otter, an indigenous mammal which flourishes on the neighboring Pacific Coast.The Sea Otter Classic offers...
- 2nd Overall Vuelta a Castilla y LeónVuelta a Castilla y LeónThe Vuelta Ciclista a Castilla y León is a professional road bicycle stage race held in Castile and León, Spain. Since 2005, Vuelta a Castilla y León has been a part of the UCI Europe Tour.-Past winners:-External links:*...
- 3rd Overall Vuelta a España2001 Vuelta a EspañaThe 56th Vuelta a España , a long-distance stage race and one of the 3 Grand Tours, was held from September 8 to September 30, 2001...
2002
- 1st Overall Route du SudRoute du SudThe Route du Sud is a road bicycle race held annually in Southern France. It was first held in 1977 and since 2005 it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour...
- 1st Stage 3 ITT
- 8th Overall Tour de France2002 Tour de FranceThe 2002 Tour de France started in Luxembourg on July 6, 2002, and ended in Paris on July 28. France was visited counter-clockwise, so the Pyrenees were there before the Alps...
2003
- 8th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné
2004
- 1st Stage 4 Setmana Catalana
- 9th Overall Tour de France2004 Tour de FranceThe 2004 Tour de France was the 91st, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 2004. It consisted of 20 stages over 3391 km.Lance Armstrong became the first to win six Tours de France. Armstrong had been favored to win, his competitors seen as being German Jan Ullrich, Spaniards Roberto Heras and...
2005
- 1st Overall
Deutschland TourDeutschland TourThe Deutschland Tour was the most important multi-stage road bicycle race in Germany. Initially the race was held in May/June. Since 2005 it is part of the UCI ProTour and has been moved to August...
- 1st
King of the MountainsKing of the MountainsThe King of the Mountains is the title given to the best climber in a cycling road race; usually and officially known as the Mountains classification...
classification - 1st Stage 4
- 1st
- 2nd Overall Tour de GeorgiaTour de Georgia 2005The 2005 Tour de Georgia was the third annual bicycle road racing event held in the state of Georgia, United States. The six-day, six stage 550 mile race was held April 19 through April 24, 2004 with the overall title and yellow jersey won by Tom Danielson of the .New Zealander Greg Henderson ...
- 3rd Overall Dauphiné LibéréDauphiné Libéré 2005These are the results for the 2005 edition of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, won by Basque rider Íñigo Landaluze, who has given positive in a doping test but whose case is still under dispute.- 05-06-2005: Aix-les-Bains, 7.9 km. :...
- 6th Overall Tour de France2005 Tour de FranceThe 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was...
2006
- 1st Overall
Dauphiné LibéréDauphiné LibéréThe Critérium du Dauphiné is an annual cycling road race, run over eight stages in the Dauphiné region in France during the first half of June. The race was inaugurated by a local newspaper, the Dauphiné Libéré, which gave its name to the event... - 2nd Overall Deutschland TourDeutschland Tour 2006The 30th edition of the Deutschland Tour road bicycle race took place in Germany from August 1 to August 9, 2006. It consisted of a Prologue and eight stages covering a total of , starting in Düsseldorf and finishing in Karlsruhe...
- 1st Stage 5
- 6th Overall Tour of California
- 1st Prologue
- 1st
King of the MountainsKing of the MountainsThe King of the Mountains is the title given to the best climber in a cycling road race; usually and officially known as the Mountains classification...
- 12th Overall Tour de France2006 Tour de FranceThe 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis....
Combativity awardCombativity awardThe combativity award, , is a prize given in the Tour de France. It favours constant attackers and since 1981 the winner of the award has not won the whole Tour.- History :...
, stage 18, Tour de France2006 Tour de FranceThe 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis....
2007
- Champion, USA Cycling Professional Tour2007 USA Cycling Professional TourThe 2007 USA Cycling Professional Tour is the inaugural year of a professional road bicycle racing series organized by USA Cycling.Levi Leipheimer and the team won the overall individual and team titles respectively. Leipheimer finished the season with 381 points over teammate George Hincapie,...
- 1st National Road Race Champion
- 1st Overall Tour of California
- 1st Prologue
- 1st Stage 5 ITT
- 1st Copperopolis Road Race
- 1st Stage 4 ITT, Tour de Georgia2007 Tour de GeorgiaThe 2007 Tour de Georgia was a seven-stage professional bicycle race held from April 16 through April 22, 2007 across the state of Georgia and into Tennessee. The race was part of the 2007 USA Cycling Pro Tour...
- 1st Stage 5 Tour de Georgia2007 Tour de GeorgiaThe 2007 Tour de Georgia was a seven-stage professional bicycle race held from April 16 through April 22, 2007 across the state of Georgia and into Tennessee. The race was part of the 2007 USA Cycling Pro Tour...
- 1st Stage 3 ITT, Tour of Missouri2007 Tour of MissouriThe 2007 Tour of Missouri is the inaugural edition of a professional road bicycle racing stage race held in Missouri that made its debut on September 11, 2007 with six days of racing. Run by same organizers as the Tour de Georgia and the Amgen Tour of California, the Tour of Missouri is being...
- 2nd Overall Deutschland Tour2007 Deutschland TourThe 31st edition of the Deutschland Tour cycle race took place in Germany from August 10 to August 18, 2007. It did not start with the traditional prologue but with a normal stage. The race included a team time trial, an individual time trial and seven stages, covering a total of . The race began...
- 3rd Overall Tour de France2007 Tour de FranceThe 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
- 1st Stage 19 ITT
2008
- 1st Overall Tour of California2008 Tour of CaliforniaThe 2008 Tour of California was the third edition of an eight-day, 650-mile stage race, which began in Palo Alto , then raced through the California redwoods, wine country and the Pacific Coast and finished in Pasadena. The road bicycle racing event was held February 17–24...
- 1st Stage 5 ITT
- 1st Overall Cascade Cycling ClassicCascade Cycling ClassicThe Cascade Cycling Classic is the longest consecutively run elite road bicycle racing stage race in the United States . It takes place in the Central Oregon region and is based in Bend, Oregon. It is a regular fixture for most of North America's top cyclists and teams. In recent years the race has...
- 1st Clásica a los Puertos de GuadarramaClásica a los Puertos de GuadarramaClásica a los Puertos de Guadarrama is a professional cycle road race held in the Sierra de Guadarrama, Spain in late August each year. The event was first run in 1978 and since 2005 it has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour-Winners:...
- 2nd Overall Vuelta a España2008 Vuelta a EspañaThe 2008 Vuelta a España was the 63rd edition of the Vuelta a España, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The event took place from 30 August to 21 September 2008 over 21 stages covering . The first stage was a team time trial in Granada. The event finished in Madrid 23 days later...
- 1st Stage 5
- 1st Stage 20
- 3rd Overall Tour de Georgia2008 Tour de GeorgiaThe 2008 Tour de Georgia was a seven-stage professional bicycle race held from April 21 through April 27, 2008 across the state of Georgia. The race was part of the 2008 USA Cycling Pro Tour and 2007-2008 UCI America Tour, and was presented by AT&T....
- 3rd Overall Dauphiné Libéré
- 1st Prologue ITT
- 3rd
Individual Time Trial, 2008 Beijing Olympics - 4th UCI Road World Championships Time Trial2008 UCI Road World ChampionshipsThe 2008 UCI Road World Championships took place in Varese, Italy, between September 23 and September 28, 2008. The event consisted of a road race and a time trial for men, women and men under 23.-Medals table:-Events summary:-External links:**...
2009
- 1st Stage 4 TTT Tour de France2009 Tour de FranceThe 2009 Tour de France was the 96th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on 4 July in the principality of Monaco with a individual time trial which included a section of the Circuit de Monaco...
- 1st Overall Tour of California2009 Tour of CaliforniaThe 2009 Amgen Tour of California was the 4th running of an annual cycling race contained within the state of California. The event was staged February 14–22 and began with a prologue in the state capital of Sacramento. The event was held as part of the schedule of both the UCI America Tour and USA...
- 1st Stage 6 ITT Tour of California2009 Tour of CaliforniaThe 2009 Amgen Tour of California was the 4th running of an annual cycling race contained within the state of California. The event was staged February 14–22 and began with a prologue in the state capital of Sacramento. The event was held as part of the schedule of both the UCI America Tour and USA...
- 1st Stage 6 ITT Tour of California
- 1st Overall
Vuelta a Castilla y León2009 Vuelta a Castilla y LeónThe 2009 Vuelta a Castilla y León, the 24th running of the race, started on March 23 in Paredes de Nava, and concluded on March 27 in Valladolid. It was won by Levi Leipheimer.-Stage 1 - March 23, 2009: Paredes de Nava - Baltanás, 168.3km:...
- 1st Stage 2 ITT
- 1st stage 2 Sea Otter ClassicSea Otter ClassicSea Otter Classic is a bicycling and outdoor life sports festival and trade show held on the former Fort Ord in Monterey, California since 1990. The classic is named in honor of the sea otter, an indigenous mammal which flourishes on the neighboring Pacific Coast.The Sea Otter Classic offers...
- 1st Overall Tour of the GilaTour of the GilaThe Tour of the Gila is a cycling stage race for both men and women located in New Mexico, USA. It is currently sponsored by the component maker SRAM. The "Gila" began in 1987....
- 1st Stage 1
- 1st Stage 3 ITT
- 5th Overall Giro d'Italia2009 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2009 Giro d'Italia was the 92nd running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 9 to 31 May 2009, and marked the 100th year since the first edition of the race...
2010
- 1st Overall Tour of the GilaTour of the GilaThe Tour of the Gila is a cycling stage race for both men and women located in New Mexico, USA. It is currently sponsored by the component maker SRAM. The "Gila" began in 1987....
- 1st Stage 1
- 1st Overall Tour of Utah2010 Tour of UtahThe 2010 Tour of Utah was the seventh edition of the Tour of Utah. It was held August 17-22, 2010. The race was distinguished by the decision of the organizers prior to the race to submit the 2011 edition of the race for addition to the UCI America Tour, upgrading it from national status to...
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st Leadville Trail 100 MTBLeadville Trail 100 MTBThe Leadville Trail 100 MTB is one of the oldest of a growing number of marathon mountain bike races. It was first run in 1994 and has become one of the best known marathon events in mountain bike racing...
(record time) - 3rd Overall Tour of California2010 Tour of CaliforniaThe 2010 Tour of California was the fifth running of the Tour of California cycling stage race. It was held from May 16–23, and was the first edition of the race held in the month of May, after the first four occurred in February. It was rated as a 2.HC event on the UCI America Tour...
2011
- 1st Overall
2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge2011 USA Pro Cycling ChallengeThe 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge was the inaugural running of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge stage race. It was held from August 22–28, and was rated as a 2.1 event on the UCI America Tour...
- 1st Stage 1
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Overall Tour de Suisse2011 Tour de SuisseThe 2011 Tour de Suisse was the 75th running of the Tour de Suisse cycling stage race. It started on 11 June with an individual time trial in Lugano and ended with another individual time trial on 19 June, in Schaffhausen...
- 1st Overall Tour of Utah2011 Tour of UtahThe 2011 Tour of Utah was the eighth edition of the Tour of Utah. For the first time, the race was included on the UCI America Tour, with a classification of 2.1. As such, the race is only open to teams on the UCI Pro Tour, UCI Professional Continental and UCI Continental circuits...
- 2nd Stage 3
- 2nd Stage 5
- 2nd Overall Tour of California2011 Tour of CaliforniaThe 2011 Amgen Tour of California was the sixth running of the Tour of California cycling stage race. It was held from May 15–22, and was rated as a 2.HC event on the UCI America Tour. Originally scheduled for eight stages, the race was due to begin in South Lake Tahoe, but snow around the Lake...
- 1st Stage 7
- 2nd Stage 6
- 3rd Overall Vuelta a Andalucía2011 Vuelta a AndalucíaThe 2011 Vuelta a Andalucía is the 57th edition of the Vuelta a Andalucía stage race. The previous edition was won by 's Michael Rogers. The race started on 20 February and will finish on 24 February.-Teams:...
- 5th Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec2011 Grand Prix Cycliste de QuébecThe 2011 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec was the second edition of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, a single-day professional bicycle road race. It was held on 9 September 2011, over a distance of , starting and finishing in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada...
- 8th Overall Paris–Nice2011 Paris–NiceThe 2011 Paris–Nice was the 69th running of the Paris–Nice cycling stage race, often known as the Race to the Sun. It started on 6 March in Houdan and ended on 13 March in Nice and consisted of eight stages, including a time trial...
Grand Tour General Classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 GiroGiro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar... |
- | - | - | - | - | - | - | 18 2008 Giro d'Italia The 2008 Giro d'Italia was the 91st running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It began in Palermo on 10 May and ended in Milan on 1 June. Twenty-two teams entered the race, which was won by Spaniard Alberto Contador of the cycling team... |
5 2009 Giro d'Italia The 2009 Giro d'Italia was the 92nd running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 9 to 31 May 2009, and marked the 100th year since the first edition of the race... |
- | - |
| Tour Tour de France The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The... |
- | 8 2002 Tour de France The 2002 Tour de France started in Luxembourg on July 6, 2002, and ended in Paris on July 28. France was visited counter-clockwise, so the Pyrenees were there before the Alps... |
WD 2003 Tour de France The 2003 Tour de France started and ended in Paris. Lasting from July 5 to July 27 the race covered 3,427.5 km , proceeding clockwise in twenty stages around France, including six major mountain stages... |
9 2004 Tour de France The 2004 Tour de France was the 91st, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 2004. It consisted of 20 stages over 3391 km.Lance Armstrong became the first to win six Tours de France. Armstrong had been favored to win, his competitors seen as being German Jan Ullrich, Spaniards Roberto Heras and... |
6 2005 Tour de France The 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was... |
12 2006 Tour de France The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis.... |
3 2007 Tour de France The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain... |
- | WD 2009 Tour de France The 2009 Tour de France was the 96th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on 4 July in the principality of Monaco with a individual time trial which included a section of the Circuit de Monaco... |
13 2010 Tour de France The 2010 Tour de France was the 97th edition of the Tour de France cycle race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on with an 8.9 km prologue time trial in Rotterdam, the first start in the Netherlands since 1996... |
32 2011 Tour de France -Pre-race favourites:2010 winner Alberto Contador was suspended from cycling during a doping investigation from September 2010 to February 2011, during which time 2010 runner-up Andy Schleck was regarded as the favourite. When the suspension was lifted, Contador declared his desire to compete in... |
| Vuelta Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages... |
3 2001 Vuelta a España The 56th Vuelta a España , a long-distance stage race and one of the 3 Grand Tours, was held from September 8 to September 30, 2001... |
- | - | - | - | - | - | 2 2008 Vuelta a España The 2008 Vuelta a España was the 63rd edition of the Vuelta a España, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The event took place from 30 August to 21 September 2008 over 21 stages covering . The first stage was a team time trial in Granada. The event finished in Madrid 23 days later... |
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WD=Withdrew