Levi Leipheimer: Rider Profile

LEVI LEIPHEIMER
Date of birth: 24/10/1973
From: Montana, USA
Team: Omega Pharma-QuickStep
Previous teams: RadioShack (2010-11); Astana (2008-2009); Discovery Channel (2007); Gerolsteiner (2005-2006); Rabobank (2002-2004); US Postal Service (2000-2001); Saturn (1998-1999)

Levi Leipheimer career profile
Aside from the obvious exceptions of his compatriots, Lance Armstrong and Greg Lemond, Levi Leipheimer is one of the most successful American cyclists ever.

Beginning his career with the Saturn squad in 1998, Leipheimer's breakthrough came in the 2001 Vuelta, where the American finished third overall riding in support of team leader, Roberto Heras, a result that illustrated his potential as a stage racer.

After an amicable break with US Postal, Leipheimer continued to take top ten results in Grand Tours, finishing eighth and ninth in the Tour de France in 2002 and 2004.

A move to Gerolsteiner followed and Leipheimer had one of his best years, winning the Tour of Germany with a dominant performance and riding to sixth overall in the Tour de France.

Leipheimer returned to the Johan Bruyneel's leadership in 2007 at the Discovery Channel team, where he rode to third overall at the Tour de France behind team-mate Alberto Contador and almost snatched the race lead from the Spaniard in the final time trial.

Leipheimer stayed with Bruyneel in 2008 to join the latest incarnation of the Discovery dynasty, the newly-rejuvenated Astana team. Leipheimer took his second consecutive Tour of California crown and ‘helped' Contador to his first Vuelta win, although it is unclear how much the American actually helped Contador and would have come very close to actually winning the race himself had the Spaniard not bolstered his lead with time bonuses.

2009 came and Leipheimer took his third straight win in California.

Levi Leipheimer results
2012
Tour of San Luis; stage four ITT
Tour of San Luis; overall

2011
Tour de Suisse; overall
Tour of Utah; overall
Tour of California; stage seven
USA Pro Cycling Challenge; stage one
USA Pro Cycling Challenge; stage three
USA Pro Cycling Challenge; overall

2010
Tour of Utah; stage two
Tour of Utah; overall
Tour of the Gila; stage one
Tour of the Gila; overall

2009
Tour de France; stage four TTT
Tour of California; overall
Tour of California; stage six
Vuelta a Castilla y Leon; stage two
Vuelta a Castilla y Leon; overall
Sea Otter; road race

2008
Vuelta a Espana; stage five
Vuelta a Espana; stage 20
Dauphiné Libéré; prologue
Tour of California; overall
Tour of California; stage five
Olympic time trial; bronze medal
Clasica a los Puertos de Guadarrama
Cascade Cycling Classic

2007
Tour de France; stage 19
Tour of California; overall
Tour of California; prologue
Tour of California; stage five
Tour de Georgia; stage five
Tour of Missouri; stage three
National road race championships
USA Cycling Professional Tour
Copperopolis Road Race

2006
Dauphiné Libéré; overall
Tour of Germany; stage five
Tour of California; King of the Mountains
Tour of California; prologue

2005
Tour of Germany; overall
Tour of Germany; King of the Mountains
Tour of Germany; stage four

2004
Setimana Catalana; stage four

2002
Route du Sud; overall
Route du Sud; stage three

2001
Redlands Classic; mountains classification
Redlands Classic; stage six

2000
Circuit Franco-Belge; stage two

1999
Tour de Beauce; overall
Tour de Beauce; stage three
National time trial championships

1998
Tour de Beauce; overall
Tour de Beauce; stage three

Levi Leipheimer photos
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