Cycling: British rider will start Tour in familiar territory

5:00AM Saturday July 07, 2007

London - The Tour de France drags its competitors through every kind of agony for three weeks but British cyclist Bradley Wiggins is not allowing himself to think beyond the first nine minutes.

That is about how long it will take to cover the 8.5km prologue through the centre of London tomorrow when time trial and track specialist Wiggins seeks to give his hometown crowd a spectacular introduction to the sport's ultimate event.

Wiggins goes into the race, his second Tour, among the favourites to win the prologue on roads he knows better than anyone else in the field.

"It's going through Hyde Park, where I started cycling as a kid, and I never imagined I'd be riding the prologue of the Tour de France down the Serpentine one day," Wiggins said.

He has won four Olympic medals, including gold in the 4000m pursuit in Athens in 2004, and a clutch of world championship medals, but says nothing can compare with the first day of the Tour.

"The wall of sound every rider gets around the course is just unexplainable: you can't hear yourself breathing, you can't hear the encouragement from your team car which is only 20 metres behind you."

Wiggins, 27, is in top form, having won the prologue at last month's prestigious Dauphine Libere, and with London's course similarly straightforward, everything is in place for a dream day for British cycling.

- Reuters

Millar takes Paris-Nice prologue

LEVI WINS TIME TRIAL & WIDENS OVERALL LEAD
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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.

HOMETOWN HERO LEVI LEIPHEIMER WINS PROLOGUE IN
SAN FRANCISCO FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR
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For the second consecutive year, Santa Rosa resident Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team) rode to victory during the 2007 Amgen Tour of California Prologue stage before an enthusiastic crowd that San Francisco city officials estimated to be between 280,000 to 300,000 fans.

Reaching Coit Tower from San Francisco's famed Embarcadero in a record time of 4:49.05, Leipheimer will once again proudly ride into Santa Rosa wearing the Amgen Leader's Jersey when Stage 1 takes the riders from Sausalito to Santa Rosa Monday morning.

Among the record crowds, cycling fan Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy) was on hand in support of race sponsor Amgen's complementary initiative, Breakaway from Cancer™.

Fitting for the largest sporting event in the state, two California cyclists placed in the top three. Behind Leipheimer, Jason Donald (Team Slipstream Powered by Chipotle) took second place, followed by San Jose resident Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (Priority Health Cycling Team Presented by Bissell). Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team (USA) leads the general team classification after today with a total time of 14:45.

"I want to thank the city of San Francisco for having us back. They are an amazing host," said Shawn Hunter, president of AEG Sports, presenters of the race. "As we launch America's most important cycling race, we give our commitment to the million-plus spectators who will witness our event, the more than 100 million who will tune in on TV and to our Web site and 144 of the best cyclists ever, that not only will we present a first-class race but we will stay focused on making the Amgen Tour of California a race as respected worldwide as the Tour de France and other Grand Tours."

A 180-degree wind shift after the first 30 minutes of racing put the later riders at a disadvantage. The final rider of the day, Leipheimer rode hard into the wind to best last year's time of 4:53.43 by about 4 seconds for the 1.92 mile-course (3.1km), which ended with a steep climb to the San Francisco landmark, Coit Tower.

"This gives me the opportunity to wear the leader's jersey into my hometown of Santa Rosa," said the jubilant 33 year-old who stated in the pre-race press conference that doing so in this race one year ago had provided him with one of the best days of his career. "This race ranks up there with some of the best on a very short list in the world. It looks good for American cycling."

Early in the day, the seventh rider to start, neo-pro Jason Donald (Team Slipstream presented by Chipotle), from Winter Park, Colo. surprised everybody by posting a time of 4:50.97. Neither the road cycling world champion, Italy's Paolo Bettini (Quick Step-Innergetic), who placed 122nd with a time of 5:31.57, nor the time trial world champion, Switzerland's Fabien Cancellara (Team CSC), who placed fifth with a time of 4:55.09, could better Donald's remarkable ride. San Jose's Ben Jacques-Maynes (Priority Health Cycling Team Presented by Bissell), the second rider to start, surprised himself by finishing third today, with a time of 4:54.22.

Other pre-race favorites included Discovery Channel Pro's George Hincapie, who finished ninth (4:57:238) and Ivan Basso, who finished 23rd (5:03:351) in his return to racing, and Team CSC's Bobby Julich, who finished 22nd (5:03:221), and Dave Zabriskie, who finished 14th (4:59:169).

Title sponsor Amgen is continuing its complementary Breakaway from Cancer™ initiative in 2007.

"Our mission is to serve patients. Since our founding in 1980, Amgen has used the power of pioneering science to fight serious illness," said George Morrow, executive vice president, global commercial operations, Amgen. "The Amgen Tour of California sponsorship provides us with opportunities to raise awareness of the many medical advances made possible through biotechnology, and to provide additional support to people affected by cancer through our Breakaway from CancerT initiative."

Amgen created the Breakaway from CancerT initiative in 2005 as a complementary component to its title sponsorship of the inaugural Amgen Tour of California. As a result of last year's Breakaway from Cancer effort, Amgen provided more than $1 million to The Wellness Community (TWC), an international non-profit organization dedicated to providing free support, education and hope to people affected by cancer. This year, the initiative expanded and also benefits the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), the oldest survivor-led cancer advocacy organization in the country. Patrick Dempsey, whose mother is a two-time cancer survivor, is also the initiative's spokesperson and attended today's race.

"I'm excited to be in San Francisco to help kick off the Amgen Tour of California as part of my participation in the Breakaway from Cancer initiative," said Patrick Dempsey. "Just as it takes a team approach to win a professional cycling race, it takes a team of health care providers, caregivers and supporters to beat cancer. The Breakaway from Cancer initiative connects people affected by cancer with services and programs that make a difference."

STAGE 1 PRESENTED BY HERBALIFE TODAY
Monday, Feb. 19 - Sausalito to Santa Rosa
Estimated Start Time: 11 a.m.
Estimated Finish Time: 3-4 p.m.

Stage 1 will bring the cyclists 96.8 miles from Sausalito to Santa Rosa. In 2006, Santa Rosa set the mark for one of the largest and most enthusiastic crowds of the entire race. Best viewing spots will include: the start in Sausalito near Spinnaker restaurant; the finish on Third Street in Santa Rosa; the sprint lines in Point Reyes and Bodega Bay; the climb up Coleman Valley Road; and Occidental as the race comes down the hill into town.

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