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Defending Champion Leipheimer Wins Individual Time Trial In Solvang For Third Year

Leipheimer retains overall lead heading into Stage 7 of Amgen Tour of California
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Teams competing in the Amgen Tour of California arrived Friday night in Santa Clarita and fanned across town for various dinners and receptions at the Valencia Hyatt and Embassy Suites. A party sponsored by Road Magazine was the first stop for riders on the Jelly Belly team, which is celebrating its 10th year of cycling sponsorship. Rider Matt Crane talked with KHTS about the difficult race in Solvang and detailed his role in a breakaway with leaders in team Astana and said the Santa Clarita-Pasadena stage 7 ride will almost be a "rest day" because it's not nearly as long or grueling as the day they'd just finished.

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Cyclist Matt Crane from the Jelly Belly Team reflects on the Solvang stage 6

Fans lined up 10 deep in some places along the 15-mile individual time trial route in Solvang to welcome world-class cyclists from 17 professional teams for the critical Stage 6 individual time trial of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California.  After completing the longest day of the race yesterday, the riders were faced with a course that was dominated by Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Astana for the third consecutive year.  Besting four-time U.S. National Individual Time Trial Champion David Zabriskie (USA) of Garmin-Slipstream by eight seconds, Leipheimer further built on his overall lead in the 2009 race to 36 seconds and will wear the Amgen Leader Jersey going into Stage 7 tomorrow.

Moving into second and third overall were Zabriskie and three-time individual time trial world champion Michael Rogers (AUS) of Team Columbia-Highroad, respectively.

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Santa Clarita City Manager Ken Pulskamp talks about the Amgen Tour

“This is the fourth year for the Amgen Tour of California and every year this stage is important,” said Leipheimer.  “The overall race this year has been tougher.  We’ve had one more day before the time trial and we’ve had some bad weather; the race is split up this year.  Of course we have two hard days to come, but today has made the biggest difference.”

With the start and finish lines located only one block apart, the individual time trial provided fans with an ideal opportunity to watch riders both start and finish the race.  The route showcased the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, winding through quaint towns, vineyards, farms, and one short, but steep, climb up Ballard Canyon.  The short, flat and fast time trial created a challenging test for the riders in a decisive day cycling.

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A mechanic for Garmin-Slipstream checks replacement wheels in the parking lot of the Hyatt

Racing on a 15-mile course, Leipheimer rolled out of the start gate with confidence.  Coming off a demanding and challenging stage on Thursday, most of the cyclists struggled to beat the 30-minute barrier.  Of the early riders, Gustav Larsson (SWE) of Saxo Bank posted 30:57, which was good enough to keep the lead until Zabriskie and Leipheimer left the start house.

But in this ‘race of truth,’ each rider alone against the clock, the competition became tougher as the race went on, with the top-three finishers ultimately cracking the 30-minute barrier.

Larsson was the first rider to break through, but that time would soon be beat by another strong rider, Zabriskie.  Zabriskie, the only American to win a stage of all three Grand Tours, whipped into the finish stretch and posted a seemingly untouchable 30:48.

“The course today for me, compared to last year, was much easier,” said Zabriskie.  We had a rainy day before last year’s time trial, but today was a good day.  It was the good kind of pain where you’re really enjoying it; it’s like energy, energy, energy.  We had good weather, good people and good crowds.  I had a good time.”

The most anticipated rider of the day, seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong (USA) of Astana came in 14th today with a time of 31:56, which put him in sixth place overall going into tomorrow’s stage.

Leipheimer hit the tape to post an amazing time of 30:40.  Despite wind, turns and hills, he had powered his bike nearly 30 mph for a half hour and crushed the competition at every time split.

“I think it gets more and more special,” added Leipheimer with regards to winning the individual time trial for the third consecutive year.  “In fact, this win is the most important, the most special to me because it was so tight.  There were only eight seconds separating us.  Dave is the best time trialist in the world, in the history of American cycling really, and for him to show up and be in great shape and be so tight with me, it makes this the most special of three victories.”

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Santa Clarita’s California Bear created for the Amgen Tour

Going into the final two stages, the Astana team will work to help Leipheimer keep the Amgen Leader Jersey and defend his title as the two-time champion of the Amgen Tour of California.

Today’s stage brought only one change to the jersey leaders.  George Hincapie (USA) of Team Columbia-Highroad was awarded Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer™ Most Courageous Rider Jersey.  The other jerseys were unchanged with Leipheimer in the Amgen Leader Jersey, Mark Cavendish (GBR) of Team Columbia-Highroad in the Herbalife Sprint Jersey, Francisco Mancebo (ESP) of Rock Racking in the California Travel & Tourism Commission King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey and Robert Gesink (NED) of Rabobank in the Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey.

“I was blown away by the crowds in Solvang this year,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports, presenter of the race. “The crowds continue to get bigger and more enthusiastic.  Although Levi seems to be riding as strong as ever, with two challenging days ahead of us, and riders like Dave Zabriskie, Michael Rogers and Lance Armstrong close behind, the race is far from over.”

State 7 Saturday, Feb. 21 – Santa Clarita to Pasadena (88.9 mi/143 km)
Start time: noon; estimated finish time: 3:15-3:50 p.m.

The race from Santa Clarita to Pasadena proved to be a difficult one during the final stage of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California, and this year will be no different.  The first 25 miles of Stage 7, sponsored by Herbalife, includes a gradual climb from Santa Clarita, through Acton, to the intersection of Angeles Forest Road.  The route continues uphill, showcasing the beauty of the San Gabriel Mountains, to the second highest elevation ever reached by the Amgen Tour of California on the towering Millcreek Summit (4,906 ft.).  Descending with a 15-mile run to Angeles Crest Highway, the route begins a fast plunge to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.  After more than 65 miles from Santa Clarita to Pasadena, with the mountains and the Rose Bowl serving as the backdrop, the peloton will complete the stage with five, five-mile laps on a very demanding circuit through the area surrounding the Rose Bowl.  This course will provide a challenging, action-packed day leading up to the finale on Sunday.

For full results, archived footage, GPS data, course information, race play-by-play and more, please visit the official race Web site at www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

In addition to the Web site, fans can view the race on the daily VERSUS broadcasts.  Stage 6 will air on VERSUS tomorrow at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET.

Stage 6 top-five finishers:

1) Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana
2) David Zabriskie (USA), Garmin-Slipstream
3) Gustav Larsson (SWE), Team Saxo Bank
4) Michael Rogers (AUS), Team Columbia-High Road
5) Jens Voigt (GER), Team Saxo Bank

General Classification top-five standings as of Stage 6:
1) Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana
2) David Zabriskie (USA), Garmin-Slipstream
3) Michael Rogers (AUS), Team Columbia-High Road
4) Jens Voigt (GER), Team Saxo Bank
5) Thomas Lövkvist (SWE), Team Columbia-High Road

Stage 6 jersey winners include:
Amgen Race Leader Jersey- Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana
Amgen's Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Rider Jersey- George Hincapie (USA), Team Columbia-High Road)
Herbalife Sprint Jersey- Mark Cavendish (GBR), Team Columbia-High Road
Rabobank Best Young Rider Jersey- Robert Gesink (NED), Rabobank
California Travel & Tourism Commission King of the Mountain (KOM) Jersey- Francisco Mancebo (ESP), Rock Racing

Defending Champion Leipheimer Wins Individual Time Trial In Solvang For Third Year

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