Team CSC’s Jens Voigt takes his first U.S. stage victory in San Jose in stage three of the 2007 Amgen Tour of California
Discovery Channel’s Levi Leipheimer Retains Overall Lead While Race’s Toughest Climb Separates Riders and Shakes Up Remaining General Classification Leaders
SAN JOSE, February 21, 2007 – After facing the brutal Sierra Road Category 1 climb approaching San Jose, Team CSC won its second consecutive stage with Jens Voight (GER) dominating most of the 94.8-mile (152.2km) stage with a time of 3:43.44 to best Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team’s Levi Leipheimer (USA). Predictor-Lotto’s Chris Horner (USA) rounded out the top three.
As expected, the Sierra Road climb separated the riders and shook up the general classification. With Santa Rosa’s Leipheimer retaining the overall leader position by three seconds, Voigt and Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis’ Rory Sutherland (AUS) overtook second and third place respectively. San Jose’s Ben Jacques-Maynes of the Priority Health team entered the day’s stage in third place heading into his hometown, but faltered to finish 3 minutes and 3 second behind the leaders, falling to 38th place overall. Nine riders failed to cross the finish line within the qualifying time and were eliminated from the race.
“Today was an incredible day for the sport, both in terms of the competition, as well as the enthusiasm the fans showed from Stockton to San Jose,” said Shawn Hunter, president of AEG Sports, presenters of the race. “When the peloton came over Sierra Road, it was like parting the red sea to get through all the fans. After a day like this, no one can argue that there is an enormous appetite for cycling in America.”
Voigt rode with a breakaway that formed within the first five miles and quickly opened a gap that grew to five minutes by mile 55. Seventeen riders were in the breakaway, spurred on by Voigt, who in addition to the stage win was awarded the Adobe Most Aggressive Rider Jersey and the Herbalife Sprint Jersey.
The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, encouraged by words from Lance Armstrong following in a team car, battled to contain the deficit.
“Today was a bike ride. It was a huge battle; it was war out there,†said Leipheimer, who talked with Lance Armstrong throughout the race for encouragement. “He [Lance] understands that today was a real battle. He was 100 percent behind us cheering us on. It really made everyone dig, so it was special.”
Seventy-three miles into the race, at the start of the decisive Sierra Road climb, which gained about 1,700 feet (518 m) in 3.9 miles (6.3 km), the hard-charging peloton was only one minute behind the breakaway.
Discovery Channel Pro riders George Hincapie (USA) and Ivan Basso (ITA) launched Leipheimer’s attack as he pursued the leaders up the climb, and the entire field exploded under the pressure of the 10%+ gradient.
Predictor-Lotto’s Chris Horner of Bend, Ore., and Rabobank’s Robert Gesink (NED) managed to keep Leipheimer’s wheel, and the trio caught Voigt a little more than halfway up. Voigt and another breakaway rider, Leipheimer’s teammate Jason McCartney (USA), hung onto this speeding trio and a group of five crested the summit together.
In only four miles on Sierra Road the race changed almost beyond recognition. A group of 12 riders containing the world champion, Team CSC’s Paolo Bettini (ITA), followed the new leading group over the summit, about 30 seconds back. But the leaders descended faster on the narrow roads, and by the bottom, with only 12 miles (20km) remaining to the finish, the group had a lead of about one minute over a chase group that had grown to 27 riders.
With the large chase group bearing down hard on the leaders, it was a frantic flight into downtown San Jose.
With a little under two miles to go, Leipheimer attacked the group, and a counter attack quickly came from Voigt. But what brought a gasp from the large crowd watching the closing miles on the big screen at the finish was the sight of the main group swinging around a corner, catching the breakaway with less than 30 seconds behind the leaders. Leipheimer led the charge into the finishing straight, but Voigt came around him and powered to the win.
The time bonuses Voigt picked up during the day – three seconds for winning an intermediate sprint at Livermore and 10 seconds for the line honors – put him within easy reach of Leipheimer for the time trial.
With no intermediate or finish sprint time bonuses on the 135-mile Stage 4, this sets the stage for a nail-biting time trial on Friday – provided that there is not another successful breakaway like today.
Neither of the current lead contenders is willing to commit to a prediction about the conclusion of the 2007 Amgen Tour of California.
“Sure, we’ve got a fair chance, but also Levi’s got a fair chance. He’s a great rider, and it was only 15 seconds to the group behind us… it’s hard to say where it goes from here,” said Voigt.
Leipheimer was of a similar mind: “Jens Voigt can time trial pretty well. I’m a long way from the overall victory… I would’ve liked to have got to the finish with a minute over the group.â€
Today’s King of the Mountain Jersey was awarded to Quick Step-Innergetic’s Jurgen Van de Walle (BEL). The Union Bank Best Young Rider jersey went to Predictor-Lotto’s Matthew Lloyd (AUS).
Title sponsor Amgen will hold another “Breakaway Mile” tomorrow on the final mile of the course before the peloton streaks into San Luis Obispo.
STAGE 4 TOMORROW:
Thursday, Feb. 22 – Seaside to San Luis Obispo (132.6 mi/213.4 km)
Estimated Start Time: 10 a.m.
Estimated Finish Time: 3:20-4:20 p.m.
The remarkable views of Stage 4 will make it a favorite for riders and spectators alike. Beginning in Seaside with a short neutral lap and traveling along a similar route to last year’s Stage 4, the peloton will head south on scenic Highway 1 where the mountains and redwood forests flank the Pacific Ocean. At more than 130 miles and with three KOMs, this is the longest stage of the race and will test the riders on consistently hilly and technical terrain. The six-hour day will take the riders through Big Sur and by Hearst Castle before shifting inland toward the finish at the intersection of Osos and Monterey in San Luis Obispo.
2007 Stage 3 Quotes
Levi Leipheimer (Santa Rosa, Calif.) General Classification Leader, Second Place Stage 3
Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
Stage 3 Post-Race Comments- In general: “Today was a bike race, it was a real battle out there, and all the riders on Discovery suffered today, and I personally saw Allan (Davis) and Tony (Cruz) and Brian (Vandbourg) get dropped and come back, just suffering all day long.â€
- On the team effort: “Jason (McCartney) as well as the whole team was extraordinary today. The Discovery riders suffered today. We still went up the climb (Sierra Road) pretty fast, and Jason was phenomenal on this one… I think we did a great job to make it all the way to the finish. Fortunately, we didn’t panic. We accepted the fact that this was going to be an all-day adventure and an all-day suffer for the team.â€
- One step closer to overall?: “I would have liked to get to the finish with a minute over that group, but from the sounds of it they were pretty close to us. I’m a long way from the overall victory. I’ve always said I would love to win here. I’m going to give it everything.â€
- Being motivated by Lance Armstrong from the follow car: “He understands that today was a real battle. He was 100 percent behind us cheering us on. It really made everyone dig, so it was special.”
“He was saying things like: Come on guys, we can do this. We were discussing tactics. We were all trying to encourage each other. Today was a real bike race. It was a real hard one.â€
On the crowds and the scenery: “The top of Sierra Road was fantastic. You’re talking about a beautiful piece of California. You come over the top of a climb like that, and you have goosebumps. It really shows how beautiful this state is.”- On feelings about how the stage would go: “I’ve done this long enough to tell which days are going to be hard. I could tell that people were saving it for today and were going to hit us hard.â€
- Jens Voigt (GER) Winner Stage 3, Adobe Most Aggressive Rider Winner
Team CSC
Stage 3 Post-Race Comments- On the way the race went: “There’s never such a thing as an easy race. I just followed a couple of moves at the start.”
- On the forthcoming time trial: Dave (Zabriskie) is always good in a time trial. It will change our plans a lot to lose Dave. The whole first day was not good for us. With two stage wins, we are more than happy now…. We will see. It’s the first race of the year, so it’s a little bit of the unknown. We had our little secret time trial in our training camp (two weeks ago). I think I came in second, I was beaten by one or two seconds by Fabien Cancellara (in a 5-6 km time trial).â€
- On the motivating the breakaway: I figured ‘Okay boys, it’s now or never! The finish line is in front of us, it’s not behind us so you can’t look back.’ I would say everybody worked as good as he could. Some riders were intimated by that massive climb at the end of the stage. It was really nice how we shared the work.
- In the closing 20km, with the bunch just behind, did you think you could win?: “Yes. I was waiting for my captain Bobby Julich so I was not working. I could save my legs a bit. They were actually going really fast (Leipheimer, Horner, McCartney) I have to say (big smile). Big chapeaux (hats off) to the guys who were swapping off there. I could save my legs a little bit, I thought it should be possible to win that stage. I am never going to win a sprint with Tom Boonen, but in a little group like five riders I figured I had a fair chance.”
- On his main rival: “Sure, we’ve got a fair chance, but also Levi’s got a fair chance. He’s a great rider, and it was only 15 seconds to the group behind us… it’s hard to say where it goes from here.â€
- Chris Horner (USA) Third place, Stage 3
Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
Stage 3 Post-Race Comments- On strategy: “Discovery had to ride all day, which they did a fantastic job of keeping the break close. But for us it was really important that Discovery had to ride a lot, so that when we reached the climb I was only dealing with one fresh Levi, instead of a fresh Basso and a fresh Danielson and all that. I knew if it was just Levi, he’s on another page ahead of the rest of us on the climb, and certainly could’ve gone over the climb by himself, but I know he knows to make it to the finish he’s going to have to wait for me too, so it works out to my benefit if he’s all by himself. So our strategy was to do nothing all day. We’re here to win stages. My time trial has been letting me down a lot, so the GC wasn’t something I was thinking about. I was only thinking about winning the stage. In order to do that we needed a stage like today that was perfect for me, but of course I screwed up on the finish and Jens (Voigt) won.”
“Certainly, the Slipstream team has been riding really well. Still very aggressive so hats off. They’ve been probably the most that’s impressed me, how well they’ve been riding here.”
- On strategy: “Discovery had to ride all day, which they did a fantastic job of keeping the break close. But for us it was really important that Discovery had to ride a lot, so that when we reached the climb I was only dealing with one fresh Levi, instead of a fresh Basso and a fresh Danielson and all that. I knew if it was just Levi, he’s on another page ahead of the rest of us on the climb, and certainly could’ve gone over the climb by himself, but I know he knows to make it to the finish he’s going to have to wait for me too, so it works out to my benefit if he’s all by himself. So our strategy was to do nothing all day. We’re here to win stages. My time trial has been letting me down a lot, so the GC wasn’t something I was thinking about. I was only thinking about winning the stage. In order to do that we needed a stage like today that was perfect for me, but of course I screwed up on the finish and Jens (Voigt) won.”
For full results, archived footage, GPS data, team and course information, race play-by-play and more, please visit the Amgen Tour of California official race site.
Amgen Tour of California Stage 3 (top 10)
1. Jens Voigt (G), CSC, 3:43:44
2. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Discovery Channel, same time
3. Christopher Horner (USA), Predictor-Lotto, s.t.
4. Robert Gesink (Nl), Rabobank, 0:04
5. Paolo Bettini (I), Quick Step-Innergetic, s.t.
6. Stuart O’Grady (Aus), CSC, s.t.
7. Enrico Gasparotto (I), Liquigas, s.t.
8. Dimitri Fofonov (Kaz), Crédit Agricole, s.t.
9. Bram De Groot (Nl), Rabobank, s.t.
10. Sergey Lagutin (UZB), Navigators Insurance, s.t.
General classification (top 10)
1. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Discovery Channel, 12:46:25
2. Jens Voigt (G), CSC, 0:03
3. Rory Sutherland (Aus), Health Net-Maxxis, 0:15
4. Christopher Horner (USA), Predictor-Lotto, 0:16
5. Ardila Cano Mauricio Alberto (Col), Rabobank, 0:17
6. Ben Day (Aus), Navigators Insurance, 0:18
7. Ryder Hesjedal (CAN), Health Net-Maxxis, 0:19
8. Michael Rogers (Aus), T-Mobile, s.t.
9. Sergey Lagutin (UZB), Navigators Insurance, 0:20
10. Stuart O’Grady (Aus), CSC, s.t.
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Feb 22nd, 2007 at 11:31 pm
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