Leipheimer caps off season with professional road race title
Greenville, S.C. (September 2, 2007)—Levi Leipheimer (Santa Rosa, Calif./Discovery Channel) capped off the best year of his professional career on Sunday with a victory in the 109-mile road race at the 2007 USA Cycling Professional Championships.Leipheimer held off a three-man chase group to claim his first-ever national road race title ahead of teammate and defending champion George Hincapie (Greenville, S.C.) and Neil Shirley (La Mesa, Calif./Jittery Joe’s). Leipheimer, whose 2007 accomplishments also include an overall victory at the Amgen Tour of California as well as a stage win and third-place overall finish at the Tour de France, finished one minute, 11 seconds ahead of a three-man chase group that also contained three-time U.S. professional champion Fred Rodriguez (Emeryville, Calif./Predictor-Lotto).
“2007 has been a dream come true for me," Leipheimer said. "The Tour of California ... I dreamed about that all winter and trained harder than I ever have before. Then to go to Europe, stand on the podium in Paris and win a stage of the Tour de France, and then to come here to Greenville and be the U.S. champion, it was much more than I ever dreamed of.”
The victory all but assures Leipheimer the overall 2007 USA Cycling Professional Tour title with two events remaining – the inaugural Tour of Missouri, Sept. 11-16 and the Tour de Leelanau in Traverse City, Mich. on July 16.
2007 USA Cycling Professional Championships
Greenville, S.C.
September 2, 2007
Road Race Results
1. Levi Leipheimer (Santa Rosa, Calif.) 4:22:19
2. George Hincapie (Greenville, S.C.) +1:11
3. Neil Shirley (La Mesa, Calif.) +1:14
4. Fred Rodriguez (Emeryville, Calif.) +1:18
5. Danny Pate (Colorado Springs, Colo.) +1:29
For complete results, click here.
About USA Cycling
Recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling promotes American cycling through its 60,000 members and 2,500 annual events. USA Cycling associations include the BMX Association (BMX), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), U.S. Cycling Federation (road/track), the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men’s road). For more information, visit www.usacycling.org or contact USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.
Recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling promotes American cycling through its 60,000 members and 2,500 annual events. USA Cycling associations include the BMX Association (BMX), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), U.S. Cycling Federation (road/track), the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men’s road). For more information, visit www.usacycling.org or contact USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.
This Article Published September 2, 2007 For more information contact:
