LEIPHEIMER LEADS TOUR OF CALIFORNIA, ILLNESS BREAKS UP HIGH ROAD TEAM

(Editor’s Note: The account of the race below is taken from:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/feb08/california08/?id=results/california083)

Defending tour champion Levi Leipheimer (Astana) got to work on today's first real climbing stage -- a tough parcours with five rated climbs, including the hors category Mt. Hamilton and tough Sierra Road climbs. Like the last two years Leipheimer was alone with Robert Gesink (Rabobank) over the top of Sierra Road, just 18 miles from the finish in downtown San Jose. The two had worked out a partnership before and rode it all the way to the finish, with Gesink taking the stage win, while Leipheimer rode into the leader's jersey.
The morning's leader Tyler Farrar (Slipstream) was suffering from an intestinal virus, and was unable to continue after the first two mountains, and abandoned the race while wearing the yellow jersey.
(Editor’s Note: Due to illness, Team High Road rider Adam Hansen did not start the day’s race, and his team mate Edvald Boasson Hagen, had to abandon the stage at the top of one of the climbs. High Road riders finishing highest in today’s stage were Kim Kirchen at 26th and George Hincapie at 27th. In the GC, Kirchen is the highest placed at 17th position 4:28 behind Leipheimer, and Hincapie is in 26th place, 7:27 behind the leader.)
"It was a hard stage... hard stage," an out-of-breath Leipheimer told Cyclingnews just after rolling to a stop. "They told us we had over a minute but I had my doubts because I had been in this position before. It's a long way from the top -- we need a mountaintop finish in this race! Robert [Gesink] was amazing. I predicted last night that he would be my ally. I even spoke to him last night and it went to perfection. We put a lot into it and twelve seconds... it was worth it, I'll take that."
"At one moment he and I had a teammate and I thought it best to keep it together," Leipheimer said. "I tried to tell him that but he was really interested in the stage win, so I understand why he hit the gas. I was content just to follow, he was going really good and it had been a really hard stage. Mt. Hamilton was a real climb. It was awesome."
When asked if he thinks the tour is won yet, Leipheimer replied, "Definitely not. It's a step in the right direction but we have a long ways to go. I put a lot of effort into today so I hope I recover."