August 25/11 20:47 pm - USA Pro Cycling Challenge: Stage 3 report and results

Posted by Editoress on 08/25/11
 

Team RadioShack’s Levi Leipheimer raced against the clock and right back into the yellow jersey after the individual time trial on Thursday in Vail, Colorado at the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge. After wearing the leader’s jersey yesterday, Leipheimer lost it to Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-Highroad) on the epic climbing stage into Aspen. But the Vail time trial was a steady uphill drag that suited Leipheimer’s cycling skills perfectly and the 37 year old former US Pro champion scorched the course to take the win by less than one second (just 0.58 seconds) to Christian Vande Velde. Van Garderen lost almost one minute on the stage and Levi Leipheimer now heads up the general classification by 11-seconds to Vande Velde.

“I didn’t expect the time to be only half-second difference to Christian but I did expect him to be my closest competitor. I think both of us were a little bit upset at ourselves yesterday with the way the stage played out. I consider that Christian and I both share this victory. We’ve both been in the trenches for more than 10 years in Europe and we’re neighbors there so it’s a good one for the old guys.”

The crowds turned out in droves to support the stage in the popular ski village of Vail. The course was 16.1km/10mi with a steady gain of altitude once it exited the cobbled course of the downtown village area. Temperatures were warm but clear skies held throughout the stage as the 124 riders tackled the route to climb to the finish at over 9500ft/2896m.

“There were so many fans lined along the road. I was trying to take the straightest line and on one corner they were all lined up on the wrong side. I had to force them all to move to the other side in order to save seconds. It’s all about the seconds. I only won the stage by half a second so it mattered.

“This was an uphill time trial that got harder as the course went on and we’re at altitude. Even though I held back I was finished with 1k to go. I mean I was absolutely done. But the fans helped me pull through and knowing I had the best split time helped me. I wouldn’t trade this job for anything, but man, I hurt.”

“Now I’m on the offensive and these next few days are daunting. But we’re very motivated. I gave the jersey up once and I don’t want to give it up again.”

Team RadioShack press release