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Leipheimer wins Dauphiné prologue
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Levi Leipheimer (Astana) ripped to a dramatic victory in Sunday’s opening prologue at the 60th Dauphiné Libéré in a showdown between the Tour de France favorites.
Leipheimer -- who won the 2006 Dauphiné – flew over the 5.6km course into Avignon to stop the clock at 6:10 to take a one-second victory to prologue specialist Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole), with Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) stopping the clock third at six seconds off the pace.
“It was my kind of course and the Dauphiné is an objective after coming out of the Giro,” Leipheimer said. “You always hope to win, but it is so unpredictable, races over such a short distance. I knew my condition was very good.”
It was a huge victory for Leipheimer, who is fresh off finishing 18th at what was an unexpected start at the Giro d’Italia last month where teammate Alberto Contador claimed the pink jersey.
“Many people had their doubts about me after the Giro, but I knew better,” Leipheimer said. “Don’t forget that I was in California and in moderate training mode before getting the last-minute call to ride the Giro. I crashed the first week and had cheek and elbow injuries. As I could not get a good classification in the Giro, I worked 100 percent for Alberto in the mountains.”
With Astana still being blocked from racing in next month’s Tour de France by race organizers, this edition of the Dauphiné takes special importance for Leipheimer, who was third last year in the Tour, but won’t have the opportunity to take aim for the maillot jaune.
“I felt the last week in Italy that my condition was getting better and better. I hope to continue that way. My team believes in me. I’m not planning to shake their confidence,” he said. “I would like to win again. The Dauphiné is a very prestigious race. To have a good result here would take away from some of the disappointment of not racing the Tour this year.”
Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel said Wednesday’s time trial would reveal whether Leipheimer has the legs to win the Dauphiné for the second time in three years.
“We have to see how Levi has recovered from the Giro. Until we’re at the time trial, we won’t know,” Bruyneel said. “He’s won this race before, and if there are chances that he’ll be good, we have the team to support him. I know from experience that after the Giro, it’s quite tough, there’s only a week in between. We know that he’ll give his maximum if he’s good.”
The best was saved for last in the opening prologue of the Dauphiné, in what’s seen as a showdown between Tour favorites sharpening their form ahead of July’s big dance.
Valverde was happy enough with his performance as he looks ahead toward improving on his sixth place overall from last year’s Tour.
“I had good feelings from the opening meters and I knew that my time on the finish line would be good, but I didn’t think I would be so close to the specialists like Leipheimer or Hushovd,” said Valverde. “It shows that I’m already in good shape and I hope to do a good race here, even though it’s not a top goal of mine. The Dauphiné is the best preparation for the Tour and it’s also the best way to check my rivals’ level. If I can win a stage, even better.”
Vladimir Efimkin (Ag2r) was among the late-starters who pipped one another in succession on a tight race on the flat, wide-open 5.6km course from Pontet to Avignon.
Efimkin, who won a stage and held the leader’s jersey in last year’s Vuelta a España before settling on sixth overall, stopped the clock at 6:22.21 to push Manuel Quinziato (Liquigas) out of the hot seat.
Quinziato – a steady time trialist who was ninth in last year’s Tour opening prologue in London -- set the early fastest time at 6:23.98.
Hushovd, winner of the opening prologue at Paris-Nice in March, pulverized that time with 6:11.47, and looked to have the win the bag until Leipheimer came flying over the course.
Pre-race favorite Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), runner-up in last year’s Dauphiné and Tour de France, stopped the clock for sixth at 13 seconds slower.
High Road continued its strong stampede through the first half of the season, pushing Craig Lewis (6:24.43), André Greipel (6:25) and Adam Hansen (6:26), into the top 15.
The 60th Dauphiné continues Monday with the 194km first stage from Avignon to Privas. The sprinters will get one of their few chances at taking the flowers in this challenging edition of the Dauphiné, but it won’t be easy.
There are a series of unrated climbs before the route hits the day’s main obstacle at the Cat. 4 Côte de Puy-Saint-Martin at 136km. The sprint teams should have plenty of road to reel in any breakaways, but the pure sprinters could have trouble with a steep, hilltop finish into Privas.
It’s an ideal finish for the GC favorites like Valverde and Evans. Or Leipheimer.
