Levi Leipheimer (born October 24, 1973) is an American former professional road racing cyclist. He was twice US national champion, winning the time trial title in 1999 and the road race in 2007, and is an Olympic medalist. Leipheimer was born and raised in Butte, Montana and resides in Santa Rosa, California. He is the patron of the widely attended King Ridge GranFondo, a mass participation ride in Sonoma County.
 Leipheimer at the 2009 Tour of California | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Levi Leipheimer | ||||||||||||||
| Born | October 24, 1973 Butte, Montana, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 62 kg (137 lb; 9.8 st) | ||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||
| Current team | Retired | ||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Road | ||||||||||||||
| Role | Rider | ||||||||||||||
| Rider type | All-rounder | ||||||||||||||
| Amateur teams | |||||||||||||||
| 1995 | F.S. Maestro – Frigas | ||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Einstein | ||||||||||||||
| Professional teams | |||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Comptel – Colorado Cyclist | ||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Saturn | ||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | U.S. Postal Service | ||||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Rabobank | ||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Gerolsteiner | ||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Discovery Channel | ||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Astana | ||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Team RadioShack | ||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Omega Pharma–Quick-Step | ||||||||||||||
| Major wins | |||||||||||||||
Grand Tours
| |||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||
Leipheimer's major career accomplishments include winning the 2007, 2008 and 2009 editions of the Tour of California, the 2011 Tour de Suisse and the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge. His Grand Tour results include 2nd in the 2008 Vuelta a España, and 4th in the 2009 Giro d'Italia. Leipheimer won the bronze medal in the time trial at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced in October 2012 that Leipheimer would be suspended for his involvement in doping while riding for U.S. Postal Service, Rabobank, Gerolsteiner and Astana.[1] Leipheimer accepted a 6-month ban from September 1, 2012 to March 1, 2013 and was stripped of all race results from June 1, 1999 to July 30, 2006, and July 7 to 29, 2007.[2] (This included his third-place finish in the 2007 Tour.)
In May 2013, Leipheimer confirmed his retirement from professional cycling following the termination of his contract with Omega Pharma-Quickstep.[3][4]
Early life and amateur career
editLeipheimer was born and raised in Butte, Montana, where his parents ran a sporting goods store. As a youth, his main sport was skiing, but he became interested in cycling after a skiing accident led to him directing his career hopes towards cycling.[5]
Maestro Frigas and Einstein (1995–1996)
editIn 1995 Leipheimer won the Tour of Namur[6] as an intern for the British F.S. Maestro – Frigas team.[7]
1996 doping violation
editLeipheimer, riding for Team Einstein, won the 1996 U.S. National Criterium Championships in Grandview Heights, Ohio,[8][9] but tested positive for ephedrine, a banned substance. He eventually forfeited his title, prize money and national champion's jersey as well as receiving a three-month suspension.[10][11] Leipheimer's family later claimed that the positive test was not indicative of doping, but rather, the result of his taking allergy medicine Claritin-D to relieve hay fever.[12][13]
Professional career
editAstana (2008–2009)
editLeipheimer joined Astana, managed by Johan Bruyneel, former manager of U.S. Postal and Discovery Channel. Astana was banned from the 2008 Tour de France because of doping scandals in the 2007 Tour, although all involved in those scandals had been replaced.[14] Leipheimer created a website to petition, unsuccessfully, for admittance to the 2008 Tour.
Leipheimer won the 2008 Tour of California. At the last minute, Astana was admitted to the Giro d'Italia, and Leipheimer finished 18th, helping teammate Contador to victory. He won the bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics in the road time trial. Leipheimer won both time trials of the 2008 Vuelta a España, leading the race after the fifth stage, and placed second overall.
Leipheimer began 2009 by winning the Tour of California for the third consecutive year. He broke away during the final climb of stage 2 and led after the stage. Leipheimer won stage 6, the Solvang individual time trial. Astana teammate Lance Armstrong, in his second race after returning from retirement, rode for Leipheimer. Leipheimer won the 2009 SRAM Tour of the Gila with Astana teammates Chris Horner and Armstrong, who finished second but, as UCI regulations meant that Astana were ineligible for the event, the three rode as Team Mellow Johnny's, named after Armstrong's bike shop.
In May, Leipheimer rode for Astana in the Giro d'Italia and finished 6th overall, the team's best placement. Later, the 2nd-place finisher Danilo Di Luca tested positive for a banned substance and was stripped of his position, moving Leipheimer up to a 5th-place finish in the records.
Riding with Astana in the 2009 Tour de France, Leipheimer broke a wrist in a crash near the end of stage 12, when he was 4th overall, and abandoned the race.[15]
Team RadioShack (2010–2011)
edit.jpg)
Leipheimer moved, along with Armstrong and several others from Astana's 2009 team, to Team RadioShack for 2010.[16] He won his second consecutive SRAM Tour of the Gila in April. At the 2010 Tour de California Leipheimer finished in third place overall.
Leipheimer was favored to lead the team in California again for 2011, but became the team's chief domestique instead, riding in support of Chris Horner's eventual victory, after the latter posted a stronger time on mountainous stage four into San Jose. Leipheimer also won the stage finishing at the Mount Baldy ski area, and was second in the individual time trial.[17][18] In his next race, the Tour of Switzerland, Leipheimer won, besting the race leader Damiano Cunego by 2 minutes in the final time trial stage, to win the tour by 4 seconds.[19]
Leipheimer won the first edition of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, winning the first stage and the third stage time trial.
Omega Pharma - Quick-Step (2012)
editLeipheimer joined Patrick Lefevere's Omega Pharma–Quick-Step team for what was supposed to be the 2012 and 2013 seasons.[20] He started his year by winning the Tour de San Luis in Argentina. However, while on a training ride on the eve of the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, he broke his fibula when he collided with a car. He stated that he thought he would die when the accident happened.[21] He returned to competition at the Tour of California, where he won the "Most Courageous" jersey after stage one, in recognition of his return from the serious injury.[22] He finished the race in sixth overall.[23]
Leipheimer followed his California performance with third place overall in the Tour de Suisse.[24] Leipheimer won a stage of the Tour of Utah,[25] and finished third overall in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, having led the race for one day.[26]
Omega Pharma-Quick Step terminated Leipheimer's contract in October, one week after his testimony to USADA.[27]
Retirement
editLeipheimer officially retired from pro cycling in May 2013. As previously noted, Leipheimer had cooperated with USADA in their case against Lance Armstrong, and detailed his own use of performance-enhancing drugs and methods while riding for U.S. Postal Service, Rabobank, Gerolsteiner and Astana. In an October 2012 op-ed for the website of The Wall Street Journal ("Why I Doped"), Leipheimer also asserted to have raced the last five years of his career clean.[28]
Leipheimer and four other riders — George Hincapie, Christian Vande Velde, David Zabriskie and Tom Danielson — received six-month suspensions and were stripped of results. Hincapie retired; the others resumed racing in 2013 after serving their suspensions.[29]
On May 19, 2013, Leipheimer admitted to The Press Democrat that he was "transitioning into the rest of my life." "I'm retired," he told them. "It's just been an 'unceremoniously' retired."[30]
Personal life
editOn Tuesday, October 23, 2012, a feature-length documentary on Leipheimer's career entitled The Levi Effect: The Story of Levi Leipheimer was screened in select theaters in the United States.[31]
Career achievements
editMajor results
editAll results from June 1, 1999 to July 30, 2006 and July 7 to 29, 2007 are stripped.[32]
- 1995
- 1st
Overall Tour de la Province de Namur - 1997
- 1st Stage 2 Cascade Cycling Classic
- 1st Prologue Tour de Toona
- 1998
- 1st Overall Tour de Beauce
- 1st Stage 3
- 1999
- 1st
Time trial, National Road Championships
1st Overall Tour de Beauce1st Stage 3
2nd Road race, Pan American Games3rd Sea Otter Classic- 2000
1st Stage 2 Circuit Franco-Belge- 2001
1st Stage 5 Redlands Bicycle Classic1st Mountains Classification
1st Stage 1 Sea Otter Classic2nd Overall Vuelta a Castilla y León3rd Overall Vuelta a España- 2002
1st
Overall Route du Sud1st Stage 3 (ITT)
8th Overall Tour de France- 2003
8th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré- 2004
1st Stage 4 Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme5th Overall Tour of the Basque Country8th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré9th Overall Tour de France- 2005
1st
Overall Deutschland Tour1st
Mountains classification1st Stage 4
2nd Overall Tour de Georgia3rd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré6th Overall Tour de France- 2006
1st
Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré2nd Overall Deutschland Tour1st Stage 5
6th Overall Tour of California1st Mountains classification1st Prologue
Combativity award Stage 18 Tour de France
- 2007
- 1st Road race, National Road Championships
- 1st USA Cycling Professional Tour
- 1st Overall Tour of California
- 1st Prologue & Stage 5 (ITT)
- Tour de Georgia
- 1st Stage 4 (ITT) & 5
- 1st Stage 3 (ITT) Tour of Missouri
- 1st Copperopolis Road Race
- 2nd Overall Deutschland Tour
3rd Overall Tour de France1st Stage 19 (ITT)
- 2008
- 1st Overall Tour of California
- 1st Stage 5 (ITT)
- 1st Overall Cascade Cycling Classic
- 1st Clásica a los Puertos de Guadarrama
- 2nd Overall Vuelta a España
- 1st Stage 5 & 20
- 3rd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
- 1st Prologue
- 3rd Overall Tour de Georgia
- 3rd
Time trial, Olympic Games - 4th Time trial, UCI Road World Championships
- 2009
- 1st Overall Tour of California
- 1st Stage 6 (ITT)
- 1st
Overall Vuelta a Castilla y León
- 1st Stage 2 (ITT)
- 1st Overall Tour of the Gila
- 1st Stage 1 & 3 (ITT)
- 1st Stage 4 (TTT) Tour de France
- 1st Stage 2 Sea Otter Classic
- 6th Overall initially, now 4th Giro d'Italia
- 2010
- 1st Overall Tour of the Gila
- 1st Stage 1
- 1st Overall Tour of Utah
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st Leadville Trail 100 MTB (course record)
- 3rd Overall Tour of California
- 2011
- 1st Overall USA Pro Cycling Challenge
- 1st Stage 1 & 3
- 1st Overall Tour de Suisse
- 1st Overall Tour of Utah
- 2nd Overall Tour of California
- 1st Stage 7
- 3rd Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
- 5th Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
- 8th Overall Paris–Nice
- 2012
- 1st Overall Tour de San Luis
- 1st Stage 3[N 1] & 4 (ITT)
- 3rd Overall Tour de Suisse
- 3rd Overall USA Pro Cycling Challenge
- 6th Overall Tour of California
- 6th Overall Tour of Utah
- 1st Stage 6
General classification results timeline
edit| Grand Tour general classification results | |||||||||||||||||
| Grand Tour | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 4 | — | — | — | ||||
 Tour de France
|
— | — | — | DNF | 12 | 32 | 32 | ||||||||||
 / Vuelta a España
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| Major stage race general classification results | |||||||||||||||||
| Race | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | ||||
 / Paris–Nice
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | — | — | 22 | 8 | 35 | |||||
 / Tirreno–Adriatico
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
 Volta a Catalunya
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | 23 | |||||||
| Tour of the Basque Country
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 76 | — | ||||||||
 / Tour de Romandie
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
 Critérium du Dauphiné
|
— | — | — | 24 | 3 | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| Tour de Suisse
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
| Voided results |
Notes
edit- ^ Retroactively awarded after Alberto Contador's results were disqualified following his backdated two-year ban in February 2012.[33][34]
References
edit- ^ "Statement From USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart Regarding The U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team Doping Conspiracy". USADA. October 10, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Levi Leipheimer acceptance of sanction" (PDF). Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- ^ "Levi Leipheimer tells hometown paper he's retired from pro cycling". VeloNews.com. May 20, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
Last year, Omega Pharma-Quick Step fired him after he admitted using performance-enhancing drugs and methods while riding for Saturn, U.S. Postal Service, Rabobank, and Gerolsteiner.
- ^ "Leipheimer confirms: I'm retired". CyclingNews.com. May 20, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
Levi Leipheimer has confirmed to reporters in California that he is indeed retired after his six month ban for doping violations was completed on March 1.
- ^ "Cool Montana Stories: Levi Leipheimer". Montanakids.com. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
- ^ "Holtz Typically Pessimistic As Opener Nears for Irish" (paid). Salt Lake Tribune. Levi Leipheimer, 22, a Utah resident and University of Utah student, won the six -stage Tour of Namur race Aug. 16–20 in Belgium. August 30, 1995.
- ^ "F.S. Maestro – Frigas 1995", le site du cyclism
- ^ "Mention of Honor". Salt Lake Tribune. September 24, 1996. p. B2.
- ^ Mallozzi, Vincent M. (December 29, 1996). "Leipheimer wins US Criterium Title". The New York Times.
- ^ VeloNews, volume 26: issue number 1, January 13, 1997, pp 6–7: Velonotes: A USA Cycling disciplinary panel has recommended that Levi Leipheimer receive a three-month suspension and be forced to return his national criterium championship jersey. The decision came after a drug test conducted at the August 18 championship event [was] positive. The panel's decision was upheld by USA Cycling executive director Lisa Voight, and the criterium title was awarded to Matt Johnson.
- ^ Malach, Pat (October 11, 2012). "Riders react to USADA reasoned decision". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
Leipheimer, for example tested positive for ephedrine at the 1996 Elite criterium championships, which he won after lapping the field, and admitted using EPO while riding for Saturn in 1999.
- ^ "Our readers speak - Letters to the editor". Montana Standard. July 9, 2006.
- ^ "WADA Prohibited List 2010" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 11, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- ^ "Tour de France organizers exclude Astana team; Alberto Contador may not defend title". ESPN.com. Associated Press. February 13, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
- ^ Jeremy Whittle (July 17, 2009). "Broken Wrist Forces Levi Leipheimer to Withdraw". Thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
- ^ Richard Tyler (September 1, 2009). "Leipheimer signs with RadioShack for two years". Cycling News. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
- ^ Kirsten Frattini (May 23, 2011). "Horner 100 Per Cent Focused On Tour De France After California Victory". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- ^ "Horner, 39, oldest to win Tour of California". The San Francisco Chronicle. May 23, 2011.
- ^ Press Association (June 19, 2011). "Levi Leipheimer snatches Tour de Suisse victory from Damiano Cunego". theguardian.com. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
- ^ Benson, Daniel (September 21, 2011). "Lefevere confirms that Leipheimer will ride for Omega Pharma-Quickstep". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
- ^ "Leipheimer sidelined with fibula fracture". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. April 5, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
- ^ James Raia (May 13, 2012). "Levi's stirring comeback energizes fans". Press Democrat. 2012 PressDemocrat.com. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ Weislo, Laura (May 20, 2012). "Gesink seals overall victory in Tour of California". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- ^ "Frank Schleck attacks, Rui Costa defends to win 2012 Tour de Suisse". Velo News. 2012 Competitor Group, Inc. June 18, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- ^ Pat Malach (August 13, 2012). "Leipheimer wins final stage at Tour of Utah". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ "Vande Velde stuns Leipheimer, taking overall victory". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. August 27, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- ^ "Cyclist Levi Leipheimer of Santa Rosa dropped from Quick-Step team". San Jose Mercury News. October 16, 2012.
- ^ Leipheimer, Levi (October 10, 2012). "Leipheimer: Why I Doped". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
Today, I accept responsibility and Usada's sanctions for participating in the dirty past of cycling. I've been racing clean for more than 5 years in a changed and much cleaner sport.
- ^ "Omega Pharma terminates Leipheimer's contract". Velonews.com. October 16, 2012. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
Omega Pharma-Quick Step has terminated its contract with American Levi Leipheimer following his admission last week that he doped between 1999 and 2007. Leipheimer was a witness in the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's case and detailed his use of performance enhancing drugs in an affidavit and in an op-ed for the website of The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.
- ^ Benefield, Kerry (May 19, 2013). "Pro cyclist Levi Leipheimer announces retirement". The Press Democrat. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
Santa Rosa's Levi Leipheimer said Sunday he's retired from professional cycling, becoming the latest casualty of a massive doping scandal that saw disgraced champion Lance Armstrong banned from the sport for life.
- ^ "Top Cyclist's Inspiring "The Story of Levi Leipheimer - The Levi Effect" Rides into Cinemas". Entertainment Magazine EMOL.org. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- ^ "Leipheimer Accepts USADA Sanction Following Doping Admission". Cyclingnews.com. October 10, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- ^ "New winners emerge from Contador's suspension". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. February 7, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
- ^ "Tour de San Luis (ARG), 25 Jan 2012 - Stage 3: Estancia Grande - Mirador de Potrero". Union Cycliste Internationale. Infostrada Sports. Archived from the original on December 21, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
External links
edit