Defending Champion Levi Leipheimer Wins [2009] Amgen Tour of California for Third Consecutive Year with Astana Capturing Team Classification Title
Two Million Fans Turned Out to Watch the Best Field Ever Assembled on U.S. Soil Cycle Across CaliforniaESCONDIDO (February 22, 2009) – After nine challenging and epic days of cycling through more than 750-miles of scenic California roads, and a thrilling fight to the finish, Levi Leipheimer (USA) of Astana was crowned champion of the 2009 Amgen Tour of California, solidifying a three-peat for the California resident. With a week-long total time of 31 hours, 28 minutes and 21 seconds, Leipheimer accepted the highly coveted title of race champion in front of massive cheering crowds in Escondido, which brought the race total to 2 million fans along the race route from Sacramento to Escondido. In a nine-day battle against the best field ever assembled to compete in the United States, which included Tour de France winners, Olympic medalists and World Champions, Frank Schleck (LUX) of Saxo Bank claimed the Stage 8 win.
“I’ve been trying to think about how to articulate this and it’s tough,” said Leipheimer. “To win it once, that was huge. To win it twice, that was almost a little bit of a surprise and almost felt like luck. But now, to have won the Amgen Tour of California three times, it’s the sweetest victory of all. I think we proved that we were the best team in the race. There is no question about that.”
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“The City of Paso Robles is honored to serve as the Stage 5 Finish for the Amgen Tour of California. The level of competition, the pure excitement of an internationally renowned sporting event and the opportunities it will bring to our community make this a remarkable event for Paso Robles. We look forward to being a host city for the first time, and we welcome visitors to experience the Amgen Tour of California with us in historic downtown Paso Robles on February 19th.”
- Mayor Duane Picanco
