Levi Leipheimer has proven immune to all the pressures, dangers, fatigue and sickness of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California. With one final stage left, it seems all but certain that Astana will defend Leipheimer’s overall lead into Pasadena and the record books.

Only 91 of the original starting 132 riders made it to the finish line in Santa Clarita. A stomach virus has taken out more than a dozen riders, while crashes, fatigue, hypothermia and other factors have removed players from what has been the toughest-ever Tour of California.

Slipstream’s second- and third-placed riders, David Millar and Christian Vande Velde, may not go down without a fight, but their deficits of 49 seconds and 1:08 are likely to prove insurmountable, given the course and the strength of Leipheimer and his team.

Astana faces one more long day at the front.

Photo: Graham Watson

Stage 7 takes riders up and over the race’s highest point, the 4906-foot Millcreek Summit. The Cat. 3 climb — the sole mountain of the day — comes just shy of the halfway point, and offers points to the first five riders across the KOM line (6, 5, 4, 3 and 1). BMC’s Scott Nydam has a lock on the KOM competition with 26 points. Quick Step-Innergetic’s Jurgen Vandewalle trails with 19 while Rabobank’s Robert Gesink has 17.

Gesink already has one jersey, however, with a solid lead in the best young rider competition. He leads Slipstream-Chipotle’s Tom Peterson by 40 seconds.

Unlike the KOM, the best young rider and the overall, the sprinter’s competition is very much up for grabs.

There are two intermediate sprints worth 5 points, 3 and 1 to the first three riders, plus points going 10 deep at the finish, from 15 to the winner to 1 for 10th.

Toyota-United’s Dominique Rollin has a tenuous lead with 41 points, followed closely by CSC’s J.J. Haedo at 38. Also still in the running for the jersey is High Road’s Gerald Ciolek (32).

Cavendish, denied the win on Saturday, could be out for revenge should the stage come down to a sprint.

Photo: Graham Watson

The first intermediate sprint comes halfway up the climb to Millcreek Summit. The second comes just past the base of the descent, as riders begin five undulating circuits around the Rose Bowl.

And of course there is still one more stage win up for grabs. The sprinters are all hoping the steady climb — the longest of the race at nearly 40km — won’t spit them permanently out the back. Having been relegated after a commanding win, High Road’s Mark Cavendish will certainly be fiercely motivated. Also watch for Quick Step’s Tom Boonen, CSC’s J.J. Haedo and world champion Paolo Bettini.

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Amgen Tour of California overall (after stage 6)
1. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Astana, 25:33:23
2. David Millar (GB), Slipstream-Chipotle, at 0:49
3. Christian Vande Velde (USA), Slipstream-Chipotle, at 1:08
4. Fabian Cancellara (Swi), CSC, at 1:18
5. Gustav Larsson (Swe), CSC, at 1:19
6. Dave Zabriskie (USA), Slipstream-Chipotle, at 1:36
7. Chris Horner (USA), Astana, at 2:07
8. Jurgen Vandewalle (B), Quick Step, at 2:11
9. Robert Gesink (Nl), Rabobank, at 2:18
10. Alexandre Moos (Swi), BMC, at 2:27