Inside Pro Cycling | Leipheimer wins Amgen Tour in not-so-sunny California

    While many believe that dreary weather does not exist in sunny California, anyone who watched the 2009 Amgen Tour of California (AToC) needed no further proof.
    With the most stacked start list in the event's five-year history and a revamped course that promised to be incredibly selective, the AToC needed no help from Mother Nature to prove a difficult race. But it got it anyway. The combination of three successive days of cold and rain and the sheer amount of climbing included on nearly every stage proved too much for much of the peloton, as only 84 of the original 136 riders who started the prologue made it to the finish line in Escondido nine days later. But one rider never seemed to be in trouble.
    California native and two-time defending champion Levi Leipheimer scored the hat trick, claiming his third golden jersey in dominating style. Leipheimer got off to an impressive start by taking second in the prologue, finishing behind Team Saxo Bank's Olympic time-trial champion Fabian Cancellara (Switzerland) by a mere 1.2 seconds.
    The next day proved both exciting and somewhat controversial, throwing Leipheimer and his Astana team into a bit of a last-minute panic. On day one of the cold and rain, Rock Racing's Francisco Mancebo went clear from the gun, beginning what was quite possibly the most courageous ride of the entire Tour. Mancebo was off the front for the entirety of the 107.6-mile stage, dropping his mid-race breakaway companions and then out-kicking two last-minute companions to earn the stage and the leader's jersey.
    Meanwhile, a lack of communication between the race directors and the field created some confusion that led to the peloton beginning its chase a little later than planned and much too late to catch Mancebo's break. But with some hard work from the Astana boys, Mancebo's lead was kept to a manageable 1:07 at the end of the day.
    On Stage 2, the General Classification (GC) contenders were no longer playing around, and fans got to see who was really there to race. The simple answer: Levi Leipheimer.
    After the peloton rode over the Golden Gate Bridge, a number of attacks led to the day's break making its way up the road and establishing a five-minute lead. By the time they reached the day's final and most crucial climb up Bonny Doon Road, an elite chase group containing most of the race favorites had established itself behind Leipheimer. It was here that he proved why he is the king of California.
    With just over 20 kilometers to go, Leipheimer put in a massive attack that brought him right up to the remnants of the break. A few of the remaining escapees briefly tried to hold his wheel, but ultimately only Tom Peterson (USA, Garmin-Slipstream) was able to hold on. With Leipheimer motoring, the two of them rode clear of the rest of the field and crossed the line 21 seconds ahead, with Peterson taking the stage win and Leipheimer the golden jersey.
    Over the next three days, Leipheimer's Astana squad kept a watchful eye on the proceedings, and Stages 3 through 5 all came down to sprint finishes — two of which were won by Columbia-Highroad's ace Mark Cavendish (Great Britain) — and the GC remained unchanged.
    It was not until the Stage 6 Solvang time trial that Leipheimer was threatened again, but he proved once more that he simply could not be beaten. Leipheimer took the 15-mile stage with a blazing time of 30:39, eight seconds better than American David Zabriskie (USA, Garmin-Slipstream) and seven seconds better than his own course record. With a 36-second lead in the overall standings, Leipheimer had all the cushion he would need to retain the golden jersey all the way to the final finish line in Escondido.
    Although undeniably exciting, the 2009 AToC offered few great surprises. Leipheimer was expected to perform, and he did, dominating the competition. The course was supposed to be challenging and thrilling, and it was — the final two days were each marked by major successful breakaways, and only half the field finished the race. One of the few notables was Floyd Landis, whose return to professional racing after a two-year doping ban was decidedly disappointing with a 23rd-place finish. Even Lance Armstrong's performance was no great shock, as he displayed perfect loyalty to his teammate Leipheimer in helping him secure the win — though his seventh place overall at 1:46 back was no small feat. But then again, what else did we expect from the seven-time Tour de France champion? Predictable.
    With the 2009 edition over and done with, we now only have 2010 to look forward to. Rumors have already begun to mill about the possibility of moving the race later into the year, when the weather is clearer and more options for courses are available, including significantly more climbing that will make the race more like a European Grand Tour. Could the Amgen Tour of California someday join the ranks of the other big three? Could it be extended to two or even three weeks long? The answers remain to be seen, but one thing is for certain: Levi Leipheimer will be there to stake his claim again.