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.”

LEVI GOLDEN IN 2007
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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.

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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 Teams

Discovery Team Info Team Website	CSC Team Info Team Website	Credit Agricole Team Info Team Website
Team Predictor-Lotto Team Info Team Website	Quick Step-Innergetic Team Info Team Website	T-Mobile Team Info Team Website
Rabobank Cycling Team Info Team Website	Liquigas Team Info Team Website	Healthnet Team Info Team Website
Navigators Insurance Team Info Team Website	Team Slipstream/Chipotle     Team Info Team Website	Toyota-United Pro Team Info Team Website
Priority Health Cycling Team Info Team website	USA National Team Team Info Team website	Colavita/Sutter Home Team Info Team Website
BMC Racing Team Team Info Team Website	Jelly Belly Team Info Team Website	Gerolsteiner Team Info Team website

JJ HAEDO WINS; LEVI HOLDS OVERALL LEAD
Latest News | Maps | Cities | Tour Merch. | Amgentourofcalifornia.com | Watch Live

One shocking note to add, is Team Discovery Rider George Hincappie and Anthony Cruz also of Discovery have a freak crash, upon which George break wrist. Returns to pelotin and pulls back leader, after hard fought 70 mile chase. The biggest Amgen Tour of California crowd to date witnessed Team CSC's Juan Jose "J.J." Haedo (ARG) win a sprint to the finish line in Santa Clarita to take his second stage, with overall race leader, Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team's Levi Leipheimer (USA) close behind, maintaining possession of the Amgen Leader Jersey going into Sunday's final stage in Long Beach, Calif.

Today's Stage 6 of the Amgen Tour of California saw the toughest racing, the warmest weather and the biggest crowds of the seven racing days so far, as the peloton of world-class cyclists competed along a hilly route from Santa Barbara to Santa Clarita.

Haedo's (ARG) sprint effort at the finish overtook T-Mobile Team's Greg Henderson (NZL), Paolo Bettini (ITA), the world champion rider for Quick Step-Innergetic, Credit Agricole's Thor Hushovd (NOR) and Predictor-Lotto's Freddie Rodriguez (USA).

"I had to go really deep the whole day. I think it was the hardest day in the Amgen Tour of California for sure," said Haedo. "It was a hard day for the sprinters to go over the climb; there was a lot of attacking. I made my way back to the big group before the third KOM [King of the Mountains], and then I tried to stay in the front with my team."

Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team's Levi Leipheimer (USA), the general classification leader since the Prologue in San Francisco seven days ago, retained the Amgen Leader Jersey after a 65-mile (105 km) breakaway spearheaded by Team CSC's Stuart O'Grady (AUS), which earned him today's Adobe Most Aggressive Rider Jersey.

"I don't have the words to describe what my team went through today. They threw everything they had at us. I'll be honest, it was stressful," said Leipheimer.

According to CHP estimates, the crowd was the biggest of any in the 15 stages of the Amgen Tour of California since the race debuted last year.

"It's exciting, and people were curious how we would do in our sophomore year. The CHP told us today that point to point it was the biggest stage we've had in our two years," said Shawn Hunter, president of AEG Sports. "We've had some great racing out there. We're very proud and more committed than ever. We love this sport."

Pat McQuaid, president of Union Cycliste International (UCI), the international governing body of cycling, also was on hand for today's stage.

"This race is bigger than it was last year. There are more people on the sidelines," said McQuaid at a post-race press conference. "The organization has gotten bigger. I'm very happy with their [the organizers'] continued commitment to this event."

In an example of the aggressive riding today, Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team's George Hincapie (USA) and Tony Cruz (USA) touched wheels during an attack and crashed after only three miles (5 km) of racing. Hincapie, who won two stages in last year's Amgen Tour of California and fourth place overall, finished the stage, but the team released a statement that he has been diagnosed with a broken left radius and will not participate in tomorrow's final stage in Long Beach. Cruz came away with bruises and road rash, but no serious injuries.

Following the crash, the race continued to be marked by a succession of attacks from several teams to challenge Leipheimer, as well as other jersey holders. Credit Agricole's Christophe Laurent (FRA) and Quick Step-Innergetic's Jurgen Van de Walle (BEL) joined two other riders in an early breakaway to contest the California Tourism and Travel King of the Mountains (KOM) jersey in the final day of climbing. Van de Walle was slightly stronger today, but Laurent picked up enough points to retain the jersey.

"The climbing in this race was quite challenging, so it is very satisfying to win the King of the Mountains jersey," said Laurent in a press conference today. "I am very happy to take the (KOM) jersey in such an important race."

O'Grady's breakaway group of nine contained two former time trial world champions, T-Mobile Team's Michael Rogers (AUS) and Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle's Danny Pate (USA). The gap grew as wide as three minutes, but relentless chasing by Discovery Channel Pro brought it to 1:15 as the riders entered the three 3.5-mile (5.6 km) finishing circuits in Santa Clarita.

As the peloton worked to overtake the breakaway during the three circuits, Health Net presented by Maxxis riders came to the front and helped the Discovery Channel Pro team close the gap. The breakaway was caught with less than two miles to go, ensuring Leipheimer will ride into Long Beach tomorrow wearing the leader jersey for the final day of racing.

The Union Bank of California Best Young Rider Jersey was awarded to Rabobank's Robert Gesink (NED). Haedo retained the Herbalife Sprint Jersey after today's race.

Title sponsor Amgen will celebrate awareness raised during the Breakaway from Cancer™ initiative this week.

"The Breakaway from Cancer™ initiative allows people to connect with others who are fighting this illness or those who have recovered from it. Hope, inspiration and a sense of well-being come from sharing experiences with one another," said seven-time cancer survivor Heather Warrick of Santa Clarita.

Warrick was featured today in the 'Breakaway Mile' that took place at the finish line of the Amgen Tour of California, prior to the exciting conclusion of today's professional race. The one-mile ride was led by Warrick who rode on a tandem bike paired with Amgen scientist Dr. Joe Miletick who plays a crucial role in developing innovative medicines. Following Warrick and Miletick was a peloton comprised of caregivers, family members and health care professionals who supported her during her win against cancer.

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

STAGE 7 PRESENTED BY AMGEN TODAY:
Sunday, Feb. 25 - Long Beach (77.5 mi/124.7 km)
Live Race Coverage
Estimated Start Time: 1 p.m. PST
Estimated Finish Time: 3:45-4:15 p.m. PST

The 2007 Amgen Tour of California champion will be crowned in Long Beach tomorrow. Stage 7 is flat, fast and will be a favorite with spectators, who can watch the best cyclists in the world battle each other throughout 10 laps on the circuitous course. Views of San Pedro Bay and the Pacific Ocean will be visible for the entire stage, which is part of the famous Long Beach Grand Prix CART racecar course, meaning the roads are wide and fast. Like the Grand Tours of Europe, winning the final stage of the 2007 Amgen Tour of California is a coveted prize.

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.