2007 Stage 7 Quotes

Levi Leipheimer (Santa Rosa, Calif.) General Classification Winner

Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
Stage 7 Post-Race Comments

On cycling as a profession
“For me it is special because this is exactly what I wanted to do with my life.”

On leading each stage of the race
“This year’s race was extremely competitive. Team CSC and the other teams really put a lot of pressure on us. Without that level of competition this victory wouldn’t be as satisfying as it is. It’s really one of my most satisfying victories.”

On his victory
“Maybe my most satisfying victory. I don’t know if I could call it my biggest victory. I have a wall at home with some jerseys on it and I can tell you this jersey is going on that wall.”

On Discovery Channel Pro’s plan of attack
“We knew that everyone was going to come out and be aggressive. We counted on the other teams trying to win the stage. We tried to keep the gap close, so it was manageable for those teams to bring it to a sprint.”

On Hincapie’s injury
“Obviously that’s a big blow to our team. Now he’s going to miss the Classics. This race wasn’t supposed to be so difficult for us to win. The team was put under a lot of pressure. It was a big blow for us to loose George (Hincapie). We’re looking forward to having him back. The team is not the same without him.”

On the climbs
“Sierra was the hardest climb. That’s where I had to put in the most effort to keep up with Jens (Voigt).”

Ivan Dominguez (CUB) Stage 7 Winner

Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team
Stage 7 Post-Race Comments

On the crowds
“This crowd was huge. I live here in LA (Agoura Hills) and so for me, this one is bigger than NY (referring to the crowds at another race).” On the climbs
“Every day was hard.”

Bobby Julich (USA) Representative for Overall Team Classification

Team CSC
Stage 7 Post-Race Comments

On overall competition
“I thought it (the race) was fantastic. It was just much more interesting this year. All of the riders here were more fit and aggressive. We got in a couple of wins as well. It’s good for us to start the season off with a couple of wins. We always want to win that classification (overall team) in every race that we do.”

On the difference in level of competition between teams
“There’s definitely a gap still (between ProTour and Continental teams). I was pretty impressed with Jonathan’s team (Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle). The Amgen Tour of California is very nice to let the American teams compete and not just let in ProTour teams. They (the Continental teams) need to step it up and take advantage of that.”

Jason McCartney (USA) Third Place, General Classification

Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
Stage 7 Post-Race Comments

On the race overall
“Last year was the inaugural year and no one knew what to expect, but it’s just fantastic. From start to finish, there was a lot of sweat on the road. And it ended up being a really great race.”

Christophe Laurent (FRA) Winner, California Travel and Tourism King of the Mountains Jersey

Credit Agricole
Stage 7 Post-Race Comments

On overall competition
“This week is a very good week for me. Fantastic finish. There were lots of people at the start and finish…and the encouragement was great. The races in Europe have to be envious of this race. There isn’t a race in Europe that is this well organized.”

Robert Gesink (NED) Union Bank Best Young Rider Winner

Rabobank
Stage 7 Post-Race Comments

On the race overall
“The organization, I think, was really good. It was a perfect race. The course was good, we had good conditions. I am very happy to win here in America. If it is on my team’s schedule next year, I won’t hesitate to come back here.”

Danny Pate (USA) Stage 7 Adobe Most Aggressive Rider Winner

Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
Stage 7 Post-Race Comments

On the race today
“We were trying to play for the breakaway finishes. Just being aggressive out there. I’m honored to receive the award. I was in a lot of important moves. We were out there and made a race of it.”

Gerald Ciolek (GER), Third Place, Stage 7

T-Mobile Team
Stage 7 Post-Race Comments

On the race overall
“I will take home some good impressions of California. It’s a really nice race. I’d like to compete here next year, and maybe come here for training. It’s well organized; many, many people come here to watch the race; it’s good.”

Michael Rogers (AUS), Seventh Place, Stage 7

T-Mobile Team
Stage 7 Post-Race Comments

On the race overall
“It’s superb. I think 99 percent of the races could learn a lot from the organization here. This is my second time here, and I’ll be back again next year for sure.”

Jonathan Vaughters (USA), Manager

Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle, Team Manager
Stage 7 Post-Race Comments

On the race overall
“It’s been great. The organization level, the crowd level, the enthusiasm surrounding it…it’s on par with the Grand Tours around the world. The atmosphere isn’t that of real excitement (at other races), but at this race the fans are like those at the Tour de France. The fans are ecstatic. After watching this race it shocks me that cycling isn’t bigger in the US. It’s enormously exciting …If we could build this race up to a three week tour, why would we even go race in Europe?”

Shawn Hunter

President AEG Sports, Race Presenters
Stage 7 Post-Race Comments

On AEG’s commitment to cycling
"In only its second year, the Amgen Tour of California continues to grow as the largest cycling event in America, and we've been proud to host the best field of cyclists ever to race on U.S. soil. We love this sport, and we are committed to making it bigger and better every year to come. We want this race to be as important on U.S. soil as the Tour de France is in that country one day." On the success of the race
“We’ve had 16 days of racing and 16 days of sunshine. I heard someone say, ‘God must be a cyclist.’ The race was exciting from start to finish. The communities did a wonderful job. There were close to 1.6 million fans. “

On the future of the Amgen tour of California
“One of the goals of the Amgen Tour of California is to make it has hard as possible on these guys, and secondly we want to showcase the state of California.”

On the possibility of being included in the ProTour
“The first time that would be available is 2009. We want this to be as important of a cycling event on us as the Tour de France.”

Jim Birrell

Race Director, Amgen Tour of California
Stage 7 Post-Race Comments

On the race overall
“We saw more than 4,000 volunteers this year. Our staff has dedicated their heart and soul to help these fine athletes perform.”

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LEVI GOLDEN IN 2007
Latest News | Maps | Cities | Tour Merch. | Amgentourofcalifornia.com | Watch Live

After eight days leading the peloton of 144 elite, international cyclists that included Olympic medalists and world champions, Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team's Levi Leipheimer (USA) was crowned as champion of the 2007 Amgen Tour of California today with a total time of 24 hours, 57 minutes and 24 seconds. A resident of Santa Rosa, Calif., Leipheimer is the second consecutive Californian to win the title.

"It's one of my most satisfying victories because our team really had to fight hard. I don't know if any other team could have done it besides the Discovery Channel team," said Leipheimer.

The race continued to attract record crowds, besting its own record of 1.3 million fans last year, and shoring its place as the most attended cycling race in the U.S.

"In only its second year, the Amgen Tour of California continues to grow as the largest cycling event in America, and we've been proud to host the best field of cyclists ever to race on U.S. soil," said Shawn Hunter, president of AEG Sports, presenters of the race. "We love this sport, and we are committed to making it bigger and better every year to come. We want this race to be as important on U.S. soil as the Tour de France is in that country one day."

Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy) was one of the cycling fans on hand today, in support of Amgen's Breakaway from Cancer™ complementary initiative.

"The 2007 Amgen Tour of California has been a thrilling race that saw the world's best cyclists battle it out on some of the most punishing and spectacular terrain that California has to offer," said George Morrow, Amgen executive vice president, global commercial operations.

The seventh and final stage of the Amgen Tour of California was held in Long Beach, Calif., with enthusiastic crowds lining the ten laps of a 7.75-mile (12.5 km) circuit.

Leipheimer maintained a 21-second lead over Team CSC's Jens Voigt (GER) in the general classification to put Voigt second overall, with Discovery Channel Pro's Jason McCartney (USA) placing third overall. Team CSC riders took the next three spots, securing a win for Team CSC in the team classification.

"It's been an interesting race, and first of all I want to say the courses are very good. There is great potential in this race. I think it has a big future," said Bjarne Riis, Team CSC's Directeur Sportif.

Agoura Hills, Calif.-based Ivan Dominguez (CUB) of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team won the stage in an electrically charged sprint to the finish. He outpaced Rabobank's Graeme Brown (AUS) and T-Mobile's Gerald Ciolek (GER), who took second and third in the stage.

The attacks in today's stage began within the first minute of racing, and before halfway through the first lap, a breakaway group of seven riders had formed, including Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle's Danny Pate (USA), who was voted by journalists as the Adobe Most Aggressive Rider.

For the first four laps, the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team chased alone, but were eventually joined by Team BMC, then Rabobank and Team CSC. The gap slowly closed, absorbing the breakaway riders by the final lap, when sprinters were moved up to the front of the peloton by their teams for the final sprint to the line.

Team CSC's Juan Jose "J.J." Haedo (ARG) appeared to be boxed in approaching the line and finished tenth in the stage, but claimed the Herbalife Sprints classification jersey. Other jerseys awarded today included the Union Bank Best Young Rider Jersey to Rabobank's Robert Gesink (NED) and the California Travel and Tourism King of the Mountains Jersey to Credit Agricole's Christophe Laurent (FRA).

For full results, archived footage, team information and more, please visit the official race Web site at www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

Race title sponsor Amgen created the Breakaway from CancerTM initiative in 2005 as a complementary component to its title sponsorship to the Amgen Tour of California. The initiative raises awareness and funds for vital non profit services and programs supporting people affected by cancer.

"Amgen is proud to sponsor this hugely successful race, which is helping advance the popularity of cycling in America," Morrow added. "As a company dedicated to tapping the power of pioneering science to fight serious illness, we are equally proud of our Breakaway from Cancer™ initiative."

At the conclusion of today's race, in celebration of the initiative, Breakaway from Cancer™ spokesperson and "Grey's Anatomy" television star Patrick Dempsey took the stage to recognize Amgen and the non profit organizations that are benefiting from the initiative this year: The National Coalition of Cancer Survivorship, the oldest survivor led advocacy organization in the nation, and The Wellness Community, an international organization dedicated to providing support, education and hope to people affected by cancer.

"I'm pleased and proud to be a part of the Breakaway from Cancer™ initiative as it raises awareness and funds for the extremely valuable resources and services offered by both The Wellness Community and The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship," said Dempsey.

"Through the Breakaway from Cancer™ initiative, Amgen, The Wellness Community and The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship have reached hundreds of thousands of people with hope and information about vital services for those affected by cancer," said Cynthia Schwalm, vice president and general manager, Amgen Oncology. "We plan to continue the Breakaway from CancerT initiatives throughout the year and will continue to raise awareness and support for organizations that provide support and resources for people affected by cancer."

For the latest information on the Breakaway from Cancer initiative and ways to support those living with the illness, visit www.breakawayfromcancer.com.

Leipheimer takes the overall

photo: Casey B. Gibson

There was no doubt about his beating Rabobank's stage 1 winner Graeme Brown, with T-Mobile's Gerald Ciolek in third, followed in order by Liquigas's Luca Paolini, Gerolsteiner's Robert Förster, Crédit Agricole's Thor Hushovd and Predictor-Lotto's Fred Rodriguez - a line-up worthy of a Tour de France sprint finish.

While Dominguez was the surprise package of a cool, overcast day in this sprawling oceanside city, there was never a doubt that Discovery Channel's Levi Leipheimer would keep the Amgen yellow jersey.

The big Cuban scores the only victory by a non-ProTour rider in this year's race

photo: Graham Watson

That was the good news for Discovery. The bad news was that after surgery Sunday morning on the broken radius bone of his left forearm, it was announced that George Hincapie would be out of racing for six to eight weeks - effectively making him a non-starter for the spring classics, including Paris-Roubaix.

Hincapie, however, played a major role in Leipheimer's California victory. When Leipheimer fell on the stage 1 finishing circuit in his hometown of Santa Rosa, Hincapie showed his commitment by stopping and helping him chase the group of only 40 riders that avoided the mass pileup. Because more than two-thirds of the field was held up, the chief commissaire decided that neither Leipheimer nor 80 others affected would lose the minute or so they conceded to the leaders.

The break built a lead of three minutes and change

photo: Graham Watson

Given a "second chance." Leipheimer raced brilliantly to the final win, which included taking the week's two time trials and being the catalyst of the winning breakaway over Sierra Road into San José on stage 3. Discovery was severely tested that day as well as on stage 6 on Saturday, where Hincapie had his crash.

"Levi led from start to finish," McCartney commented, "but there was a lot of sweat left on the road, and a little bit of blood."

Sprint finale
"I was just following wheels," said Dominguez shortly after winning the final stage. "I was following Brown's wheel the last three laps, and he took me all the way to the finish. I was feeling good all day. I was having bad legs all week, so today I feel much better."

The pace wasn't exactly killer

photo: Graham Watson

The seven leaders were absorbed one by one on the head-wind section on the back side of the circuit, with Menzies the last to be caught, two miles from the line. Then it was the turn of the sprinters. CSC (for overall points champion J.J. Haedo), Rabobank (for Brown), T-Mobile (for Ciolek) and Predictor-Lotto (for Fred Rodriguez) did most of the leading out back with the wind from the far turn.

But once the chase was on, the escapees were pulled back

photo: Graham Watson

"I had amazing legs," he said. "But I needed today to be a fast stage, and it turned out to be really slow, which doesn't suit my kind of sprint. The finish was the kind of conditions I like but there were just too many fresh guys. It was basically a lottery at the end.

"I was on Haedo's wheel behind [Paolo] Bettini with 300 meters to go and the lead-out just died and everyone came from behind. So we got swarmed. We tried to come out to the right but it was too late."

Asked how he compared the Long Beach finale with the Tour finish on the Champs-Élysées, Rodriguez said, "It was wide [like Paris] but the problem is the riders were so fresh. It was a fun circuit. Probably needed to add two hours to it to make it more of a race for me."

This year the Amgen Tour of California was a race for Levi Leipheimer. Maybe he'll be able to repeat this kind of form in France in five months time, just like the winner of the inaugural Tour of California did last year.

VeloNews senior writer Neal Rogers contributed to this report.

Click here to bring up our live update window. Mobile users can click here to follow the action using their mobile-device browsers.

Results
Top 10
1. Ivan Dominguez (Cub), Toyota United, 147.7km in 2:39:28
2. Graeme Brown (Aus), Rabobank, s.t.
3. Gerald Ciolek (G), T-Mobile, s.t.
4. Luca Paolini (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, s.t.
5. Robert Förster (G), Gerolsteiner, s.t.
6. Thor Hushovd (Nor), Crédit Agricole, s.t.
7. Fred Rodriguez (USA), Predictor-Lotto, s.t.
8. Henk Vogels (Aus), Toyota United, s.t.
9. Brice Jones (USA), Jelly Belly, s.t.
10. Juan José Haedo(Arg), CSC, s.t.

Complete results

2007 Overall Standings

2007 Overall King of the Mountain

LEVI WINS TIME TRIAL & WIDENS OVERALL LEAD
Latest News | Maps | Cities | Tour Merch. | Amgentourofcalifornia.com | Watch Live

Under sunny skies in Solvang, Calif., Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team's Levi Leipheimer, of Santa Rosa, Calif., further built on his overall lead in today's critical time trial, besting Team CSC's Jens Voigt (GER) by 18 seconds after an eagerly awaited showdown between the two cyclists.

"I've been looking forward to this race for a year now, and for me it's a dream come true to be leading the Amgen Tour of California," said Leipheimer. "I think I sprinted harder today because I didn't know if I had won. I had nothing left. The moral on Discovery is sky high."

State officials estimate that 1 million fans have attended the 2007 Amgen Tour of California since the San Francisco Prologue on Sunday, putting the race on pace to break its own record as the largest sporting event in California.

"Combining the best collection of cyclists ever to compete in the United States with an incredibly challenging and scenic course, the eyes of the cycling world are clearly focused on the last two days of the Amgen Tour of California," said Shawn Hunter, president of AEG Sports, presenters of the race. "With the title still on the line and two more days of exciting racing to come, we could not have hoped for better finishing stages than we are about to see in Santa Barbara, Santa Clarita and Long Beach."

The 14.5-mile (23.4 km) time trial loop was located in and around the picturesque Danish-themed town of Solvang. Leipheimer covered the course in a time of 29:40.44, with an average speed of 29.4 mph (47.3 kph).

As the overall race leader, Leipheimer was last to start and was reported as 4 seconds faster than Voigt at the halfway point. He picked up time on the climbs, including the twisting Ballard Canyon climb lined with cheering fans, to extend his lead by 14 seconds approaching the line and winning the stage by a comfortable 18 seconds.

Voigt rode to second place with a time of 29:58.51, followed by Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team's Jason McCartney (USA) with a time of 30:05.14. Leipheimer is one step closer to the overall win, retaining his lead by 21 seconds with a total time of 18 hours, 21 minutes and 52 seconds over the past six days of racing. Discovery Channel Pro also holds the overall team lead.

With two stages remaining, Team CSC will meet tonight to consider their options.

"If we really want to turn the whole thing around that means you gotta basically unleash hell on everybody. It's going to be something like flat out from the start; it depends if we feel like we're ready for that," said Voigt after the finish.

Today's result answers the climax of the 2006 Tour of Germany, in which Voigt beat Leipheimer in the final time trial to win the race.

"We have a good natured rivalry... I said to Jens 'we're in California now, and today it's my turn,'" joked Leipheimer at a press conference today.

Fourth place in today's time trial was claimed by world champion Fabian Cancellara (SUI), who rides for Team CSC.

As this was a time trial, the lead of the California Travel and Tourism King of the Mountains (KOM) competition did not change with Credit Agricole's Christophe Laurent (FRA) remaining at the front with 26 points. The Herbalife Sprinter's competition also maintains yesterday's results, with Team CSC's Juan Jose 'J.J.' Haedo (ARG) keeping the lead with 28 points.

In the Union Bank Best Young Rider competition, Rabobank's Robert Gesink (NED) took a commanding lead of 41 seconds over Predictor-Lotto's Matthew Lloyd (AUS). Thomas Peterson (USA), riding for Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle, is in third. Title sponsor Amgen will hold another "Breakaway Mile" tomorrow on the final mile of the course before the peloton streaks into Santa Clarita.

"Amgen continues to seek out meaningful ways to communicate the progress we have made discovering and developing innovative and vital medicines that have helped millions of patients fight cancer, kidney disease and other serious illnesses," said Dr. Steve Elliott, scientific director, Amgen. "Through the Amgen Tour of California sponsorship, we will raise awareness of the medical advances possible through biotechnology while also helping support cancer patients and caregivers through the Breakaway from Cancer™ initiative."

STAGE 6 PRESENTED BY HEALTH NET TOMORROW:
Saturday, Feb. 24 - Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita (105.4 mi/169.6 km)
Live Race Coverage
Estimated Start Time: 11 a.m.
Estimated Finish Time: 2:30-3:30 p.m.

This could be the pivotal stage for the 2007 Amgen Tour of California. This is one of the longest stages at 105 miles, and it is heavy on climbs with four KOMs, two Sprints and a demanding finishing circuit in Santa Clarita. With the individual time trial late in the tour, there are several teams in contention for a top-3 general classification place in Long Beach, who may look to attack tomorrow to position themselves for the final day. After a start in view of the Santa Barbara shoreline, this stage, sponsored by Health Net, will be the last chance for teams to dislodge Leipheimer from the overall lead before the circuit race finale in Long Beach. Once the peloton hits Highway 150, the racers will face two KOMs before passing Lake Casitas and riding into the scenic town of Ojai for the first Sprint of the day. The third KOM will be just a few miles outside Ojai, and then the course will head downhill into Santa Paula for the second Sprint of the day among fragrant citrus groves. The ominous Balcom Canyon will be the final climb of the day, where in 2006, nearly 10,000 fans formed a narrow corridor for the riders. The cyclists will end the day with three circuits in Santa Clarita that finish at McBean Parkway at the Valencia Town Center.

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

Special Water Closets

Mauro da Dalto

Paulo Battini World Road Champion at Tour of Cailifornia Solvang Stage 5

2007 Overall Standings

Amgen Race Leader's Jersey Levi Leipheimer (DSC)	Union Bank Best Young Rider Jersey Mathew Lloyd (PRL)	California Travel and Tourism KOM Leader’s Jersey Jurgen Van de Walle (QSI)
Herbalife Sprint Leader’s Jersey Jens Voigt (CSC)	Adobe Most Aggressive Rider’s Jersey Jens Voigt (CSC)

02.21.07
2007 Stage 3 Results

02.20.07
2007 Stage 2 Results

02.19.07
2007 Overall Standings

02.19.07
2007 Stage 1 Results

02.18.07
2007 Prologue Results

Stage 4 Play by Play

15:56:54 Tomorrow's individual time trial in Solvang will begin at 11:00 am. Race coverage starts at 15 minutes before the hour. Post your comments and suggestions to Robbie and Joe by emailing amgentoc2007@yahoo.com.

15:55:15 Official Results will be posted as soon as they are in. Check our standings page at http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/race-live/standings.html for jersey holders and overall standings as soon as they are official tonight.

15:49:22 It's confirmed - Bettini nudged past Gerald Ciolek (T-Mobile) at the line.

15:41:09 Bettini sure thinks he won it. He's holding up his thumb and index finger to show how close it was.

15:40:37 Not official, but it looks like Bettini takes the Sprint in a photo finish. We'll really have to wait for an official ruling it was that close.

15:38:20 And Pauolo Bettini appears to take it at the end.

15:37:28 Voigt is an animal! He's done, but what a pull.

15:36:28 Here they come. With about 1.5km to go, it's still Voigt at the front.

15:36:13 Nope. Now it's a big CSC/Lotto train....

15:35:34 Bettini is in a good spot, but Voigt takes a flyer! Is he gonna pull it off, with 2km to go?

15:34:09 Charging into town Freddie Rodriguez's Lotto squad and JJ Haedo's CSC team are moving up, keeping the pace high.

15:32:26 Now T-Mobile up front with only about 7km remaining, the peloton is driving hard, with T-Mobile up front, but now Discovery is moving up, mostly to protect Leipheimer's position.

15:31:36 It didn't work. The catch is official.

15:30:21 It's almost done. Is someone going to take a final dig when the catch comes? Yup. Acton goes for it

15:29:43 Less than 25 seconds. The catch is about to happen folks... and long-time VeloNews update viewers know what that means.

15:27:51 Attacks - The men up front are trying to pick up the pace and there are several attacks as the peloton comes closing in on the escapees. The gap is now 45 seconds with 10km to go.

15:24:26 With 14km to go the leaders are powering toward the finish. We're still looking an update on the time gap. Alejandro Acton (Colavita) and Hilton Clarke (Navigators) try a dig, but the peloton is coming up fast.

15:24:11 The men in front are picking up the pace and the gap is holding

15:17:07 With 20km to go, the leaders are now just about 1:05 ahead of the field.

15:16:54 The peloton is really driving hard under the leadership of Rabobank and Liquigas. The pace back in the field is considerably higher than up front in the break.

15:15:53 The gap - is now down to 1:20, with 23km remaining.

15:14:51 Liquigas and Rabobank have each placed two riders at the front of the peloton. The full Discovery squad is behind them. The odds are pretty good that the men up front will be reeled in before the finish.

15:11:55 Get 20% off AMGEN Tour of California ladies merchandise today with code CYCLIST at www.amgentourofcaliforniastore.com

15:07:01 The gap - The seven leaders are losing time with 27.5km to go. The latest time check gives them only 1:44 ahead of the field.

15:04:09 With 30km to go - The leaders are cruising along nicely, but there is a serious chase underway behind them down by 1:45. The Liquigas and Rabobank teams are now doing the bulk of the work, but Discovery is up there lending a hand.

14:57:03 Gap is down to 2:25.

14:47:40 Back in the peloton - The Discovery team is still leading the field. We would expect to see other teams starting to lend a hand as the finish line nears.

14:45:37 Coming down - The gap is coming down. With our leaders about 42km from the finish, the gap is now just 2:35.

14:44:55 3:05 - The moto with marker board just came up to the break, displaying "3:05," suggesting that the gap is beginning to shrink.

14:39:26 The leaders are now some 49km from the finish, and our recent - corrected - time check puts them at 3:30 ahead of the peloton.

14:34:55 52km to go - The men in the lead are now 52km from the finish.

14:32:24 The gap is growing. Our last time check gives the men in the lead an advantage of 4:30.

14:29:04 Up front, the leaders are still ambling along, with the Discovery team leading the peloton. We'd bet that the chase will begin in earnest within the next 30k or so, with the sprinters' teams leading the charge.

As a reminder, the men in the break are
Aaron Olsen (T-Mobile)
Alejandro Acton (Colavita)
Lucas Euser (Slipstream)
Sean Sullivan (Toyota)
Kirk O'Bee (HealthNet)
Christophe Laurent (Credit Agricole)
Hilton Clarke (Navigators)

14:22:41 With 58km to go - The gap is staying fairly steady

14:09:32 The peloton - Are rolling through the sprint at Hearst Castle road... ahead the seven men in the lead, cruised through here about three minutes ago. As a reminder, the leaders on the road are: Aaron Olsen (T-Mobile)
Alejandro Acton (Colavita)
Lucas Euser (Slipstream)
Sean Sullivan (Toyota)
Kirk O'Bee (HealthNet)
Christophe Laurent (Credit Agricole)
Hilton Clarke (Navigators)

14:08:55 Heading to the sprint - The next highlight on the road will be the sprint mark at km 142.9. That will be right at the Hearst Castle road, at San Simeon.

14:08:31 The gap is holding steady at 3:00. One thing to keep in mind is that one of the men in the break - Slipstream's Lucas Euser - is a recent graduate of Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo. Maybe he's hoping to get a win in front of his old home town, eh? It's something to keep in mind.

14:08:13 Very stable - The weather is holding and so is the gap. Our leaders are at km 121 and the chase is about three minutes back.

13:34:43 The peloton is now at the top of the second KOM and still about three minutes behind the leaders.

13:30:07 Euser and Laurent again. Laurent takes it. He'll get 6 points and Euser gets 5.

13:28:45 And 200 meters to the final KOM of the day.

13:28:23 The leaders are now at 110km - and they are heading to the climb at 115.2km

13:20:23 Euser and Laurent - Charge to the line. Euser wins and gets four KOM points while Laurent gets three.

13:17:59 200 meters to the 2nd KOM.

13:15:11 It's been on-and-off for the past few kilometers, but right now both the leaders and the peloton are riding under a clear and beautiful sky as they work their way down the Pacific Coast Highway at the 106km mark. The gap is now 3:33.

13:12:01 Five kilometers to the KOM at 109.2km

13:04:23 The leaders - are working their way up to the Cat. 4 climb, which peaks out at 109.2km. There are 4, 3, 2 and 1 points available for the first four spots. Then at 115.2km, there is a Cat. 3, where there are 6, 5, 4, 3 and 1 points available for the top five.

13:01:48 The peloton is now in the feedzone (95km) and the sun is out again.

12:57:00 The wind is picking up and the peloton is now riding in the rain... and the gap is just around 3:15.

12:50:21 The break riders are going back into a rain zone now.

12:46:48 At 85km - The gap is 3:05 and the peloton is being led by a fairly relaxed Discovery team. As the race comes toward the finish, it's likely that the work will be picked up the sprinters' teams, who have plans on winning a stage. Discovery will simply work to maintain the gap, but it's not a big deal for the race leader's team if they don't catch the break.

12:41:49 A beautiful day. The seven men up front are ticking along nicely under a sunny sky. The riders in the break are Aaron Olsen (T-Mobile) Alejandro Acton (Colavita) Lucas Euser (Slipstream) Sean Sullivan (Toyota) Kirk O'Bee (HealthNet) Christophe Laurent (Credit Agricole)

12:32:27 In the main field and the break is crusing about 3:30 ahead of the field. The weather is still holding. Here at the finish, the rain has started again.

12:20:40 Rain? While the men on the road are riding under sunny skies, there is a chance that they may be riding into rain up the road again.

12:15:49 The time gap - The peloton is now being led by the Discovery team, but the boys from Disco are not ripping it up like they did yesterday. The gap is now 3:20. The odds are good that they will be letting the break stay out there within a reasonable time, since there is no GC threat and it keeps things calm if there is a small group off the front.

12:09:01 Crossing Bixby Bridge - The peloton is crossing Bixby Bridge and it seems the gap is actually at 3:00.

12:08:54 At 62km - The seven leaders are now 2:15 ahead of the field.

11:53:32 Our latest time check gives the leaders an advantage of 2:05. With no serious GC threats in the group, Discovery will not have to chase as frantically as they did yesterday.

11:50:07 Live video coverage is breaking through the clouds. Its spotty, but we are happy to get through the weather to bring you stage 4 as it approaches San Luis Obispo. Send comments or questions to our announcers Robbie Ventura and Joe Silva at amgentoc2007@yahoo.com.

11:43:51 Laurent goes - and Euser is on his wheel. Laurent holds him off, giving the Frenchman the lead in the climber's competition, bumping Euser's teammate Thomas Peterson There is another Cat. 4 KOM coming up at 109.2km, followed by a Cat. 3 at 115.2. If the break stays away, the Credit Ag' rider will have a good chance to get a solid hold on the jersey

11:41:01 1km to go before the KOM - The seven men up front are heading to the KOM. Laurent is the rider to whom these points matter most, but Euser, the man from Slipstream, may go for it, too.

11:40:46 The men in the break - Up front, we have seven riders now 1:50 ahead of the peloton, as they near the KOM at 43km. The riders in the break are Aaron Olsen (T-Mobile) Alejandro Acton (Colavita) Lucas Euser (Slipstream) Sean Sullivan (Toyota) Kirk O'Bee (HealthNet) Christophe Laurent (Credit Agricole)

11:33:45 There is a patch of blue sky out there. The rain has paused a bit. Will the weather clear today? The riders sure hope so. Up front, the leaders have come through the Big Sur sprint and now working their way up to the Cat.4 climb at 43.5km. We've ID-ed the two riders we only mentioned by team. They are Lucas Euser (Slipstream) and Sean Sullivan (Toyota).

11:30:25 Now joining the leaders - Hilton Clarke (Navigators) and two other riders - a Slipstream and a Toyota - have joined up with the leaders.

11:29:11 The leaders are coming up on the day's first sprint mark and it looks like the four men up front have some company. The sprint is at 38.5kmat Big Sur.

11:28:21 We're still hoping get a time check, but our most recent report gave the leaders at 35 seconds.

11:22:05 Rain, rain - The rain continues to dog the coast today. Today's route covers what is arguably one of the most beautiful roads in the world. We covered the course today and were treated to spectactular views and our arrival was delayed when the two of us in the car opted to stop and check out the elephant seals enjoying the beach at San Simeon.

11:15:30 Bettini hopeful - Mr. Rogers also chatted up Paolo Bettini (Quick Step-Innergetic), who said he's enjoying his visit to the United States. "I'm happy to be here, racing in the U.S." said Bettini. "Yesterday was a good test for my legs. There are two stages left for me, and I hope to win one of them."

11:04:56 20km - There have been a healthy number of early forays off the front today, folks, but the field is all together as the peloton courses down the wet and slippery Pacific Coast Highway. We were chatting with Michael Rogers this morning. He said he's looking forward to the TT in Solvang, but is not going to make any predicitions. "I’m pretty happy with my legs on Sierra Road. I couldn’t quite go with Levi and Horner, but it’s still early season." "Those guys are Americans, and they’re obviously motivated for this race. I haven’t spent too much time on the time trial bike in the last few months, but I’m feeling pretty good about Friday. We’ll see.

10:56:48 The weather is rough. We're not getting a video feed from the road and the news is spotty. The rain is so heavy that we may be losing our Internet connection at the footage may be going in and out all day. We will do our best to keep you apprised as things unfold.

10:40:46 And there off. Stage 4 is officially under way.

10:36:09 By the way if you're wondering why Tom Danielson had an especially strained look on his face in that Graham Watson photo from yesterday's stage report, it wasn't just the rigors of the Sierra Road climb. "I picked up some kind of food poisoning yesterday," Danielson told senior writer Neal Rogers this morning. I just couldn't go. But I feel better today, and I hope to ride for Levi and show I'm a good teammate."

10:35:03 Taylor Tolleson (Slipstream-Chipotle), who's wearing the best-young-rider jersey, got himself a nice little writeup in The San Francisco Chronicle today. Says Taylor: "I want to do what I love, and I love riding my bike." Wonder how much he's loving it today?

10:34:37 Rolling through the neutral. We're getting close to showtime.

10:34:17 The peloton is looking at 213.4km (132.6 miles) of damp slogging between Seaside and San Luis Obispo, with three KOMs thrown in just to keep their minds off the squishing sounds coming from their shoes. The views are outstanding, but somehow we suspect these guys will be giving the scenery little attention today.

10:33:59 There's a lot of rockfall along the PCH, including some head-sized jumbos, according to our intrepid editor, and the state is busy scraping them off the road — using snowplows.

10:33:45 In nearby Monterey, says the National Weather Service, we're talking mostly cloudy and 50, with wind out of the southeast at 9 mph. It's even chillier in Big Sur, which the peloton will visit en route to San Luis Obispo, which is enjoying light rain and fog.

10:33:19 The word on the road... is "wet." VeloNews.com editor Charles Pelkey reports that it's been raining all morning long, and the Pacific Coast Highway is slick and rockstrewn in spots as the field prepares for a 14km neutral rollout from Seaside to Carmel. Charles, renowned as a master of understatement, notes, "It's gonna be an uncomfortable day on the bike."

09:57:26 We expect technical difficulties during today's stage due to heavy rainfall. We may not have video coverage for much of the day. We do expect to have replay coverage after the first hour as the riders reach race markers. Please bear with us as we will do our best to get you the best coverage possible.

09:13:56 Stage 4 from Seaside to San Luis Obispo starts at 10:00 am with heavy rainfall expected.

LEVI LEIPHEIMER HANGS ON TO OVERALL LEAD
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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." 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. "Amgen continues to seek meaningful ways to communicate the progress we have made discovering and developing innovative and vital medicines to treat serious illnesses," said George Morrow, executive vice president, global commercial operations, Amgen. "Through the Amgen Tour of California sponsorship, we are raising awareness of the medical breakthroughs possible through biotechnology while creating the Breakaway from Cancer™ initiative to further support cancer patients and caregivers."

STAGE 4 PRESENTED BY ADT TOMORROW:
Thursday, Feb. 22 - Seaside to San Luis Obispo (132.6 mi/213.4 km)
Live Race Coverage
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.

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