Levi Leipheimer

Maestro Frigas and Einstein (1995–1996)

In 1995 Leipheimer won the Tour of Namur^[8] as an intern for the British F.S. Maestro – Frigas team.^[9]

Astana (2008–2009)

Leipheimer 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.^[16] 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.^[17]

Team RadioShack (2010–2011)

Leipheimer moved, along with Armstrong and several others from Astana's 2009 team, to Team RadioShack for 2010.^[18] 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.^[19][20] 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.^[21]

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)

Leipheimer joined Patrick Lefevere's Omega Pharma–Quick-Step team for what was supposed to be the 2012 and 2013 seasons.^[22] 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.^[23] 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.^[24] He finished the race in sixth overall.^[25]

Leipheimer followed his California performance with third place overall in the Tour de Suisse.^[26] Leipheimer won a stage of the Tour of Utah,^[27] and finished third overall in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, having led the race for one day.^[28]

Omega Pharma-Quick Step terminated Leipheimer's contract in October, one week after his testimony to USADA.^[29]

Retirement

Leipheimer 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.^[30]

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.^[31]

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."^[32]

Major results

All results from June 1, 1999 to July 30, 2006 and July 7 to 29, 2007 are stripped.^[34]

General classification results timeline

More information Grand Tour, Giro d'Italia ...

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	—	—	8	DNF	9	6	12	3	—	DNF	12	32	32
/ Vuelta a España	—	3	—	58	—	—	—	—	2	—	—	—	—
Major stage race general classification results
Race	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
/ Paris–Nice	—	—	—	—	22	—	—	26	—	—	22	8	35
/ Tirreno–Adriatico	—	—	—	—	—	—	DNF	—	—	—	—	—	—
Volta a Catalunya	43	44	—	—	—	—	20	—	—	—	21	—	23
Tour of the Basque Country	—	—	41	18	5	77	—	—	—	—	—	76	—
/ Tour de Romandie	—	—	54	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Critérium du Dauphiné	—	—	—	8	8	3	1	24	3	—	—	—	—
Tour de Suisse	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	10	1	3

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More information —, DNF ...

Legend

—	Did not compete
DNF	Did not finish
No.	Voided results

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