Three-peat for Levi

ESCONDIDO — The Amgen Tour of California, increasingly known as Levi Leipheimer’s 750-Mile Victory Parade, was won again by you know who on Sunday.

Leipheimer, the Santa Rosa resident who has emerged as the race’s biggest cheerleader and most dominant force, battled inclement weather and a mountain of pressure throughout the eight-stage event to win the TOC for the third straight year.

During his three-year reign, Leipheimer, 35, has worn the leader’s yellow jersey for 20 of 25 days, winning one prologue and three time trials in Solvang.

En route to his latest title, Leipheimer was supported by an Astana team featuring Lance Armstrong and he never led by less than 24 seconds after wresting the lead away from Francisco Mancebo during Stage 2. He finished 36 seconds ahead of runner-up David Zabriskie.

If it looked easy, however, Leipheimer said it was a bone-wearying grind. Pressure proved to be his biggest opponent. And it was tough to tame.

“To keep a streak going like that, it’s so difficult,” Leipheimer said. “I was telling Lance this week that I don’t know how the hell he’s won the Tour de France seven times in a row. It’s unbelievable. I have a lot of respect for that because the pressure builds. Expectations are higher. You can’t get second place because that’s losing, especially in this race.”

The pressure, though, proved no match for Leipheimer’s preparation.

The fruits of his famously demanding off-season training rides throughout Sonoma County were on display during Stage 2, a 116-mile trek through wind and rain that began in Sausalito and finished in Santa Cruz.

With 17 miles left, Leipheimer launched a memorable attack up Bonny Doon Road to leave a host of challengers in his wake and assume the yellow jersey he would never remove.

“There were many days on the bike when I pushed myself and I was suffering by myself,” Leipheimer said. “I dreamt about moments like I had at Bonny Doon where it’s a long ways from the finish, the conditions are horrendous and, just spur of the moment you’re inspired and feel great and you go for it. You know that you’re fully committed and there’s no looking back.”

Armstrong said Leipheimer’s commitment was obvious months before the race, making the decision to make him Astana’s leader an easy one.

It was Armstrong’s first race in American in nearly four years, but he quickly understood his role would be to support the strongest teammate.

“No one came in here with any other expectation than we were going to ride for Levi,” Armstrong said. “I speak for the team when I say we don’t mind working for Levi. I think there was no doubt he was going to do what he did on Bonny Doon and there was no doubt he was going to do what he did in Solvang. When you have a guy that strong and that prepared, people are willing to lay down and work for him.”

Said Astana team director Johan Bruyneel, “When he knows he’s really going to be in a position to lead the team, everybody on the team knows that he’s going to be ready. I think that’s really what it takes to be a leader of a team and have everyone give it 100 percent.”

Leipheimer’s days as Astana’s leader, however, might be over for this season.

He will next compete in March at Paris-Nice, an eight-stage race where he will ride in support of Alberto Contador, the 2007 Tour de France champion. After that will be the Giro d’Italia in May, where he will support Armstrong.

Following the Giro will be the Tour de France in July, the ultimate prize for every cyclist.

On the matter of who will lead Astana at the Tour, Leipheimer seemed almost embarrassed to include himself as a candidate.

“At the Tour de France, we’re going to ride for the strongest rider,” he said. “Whether it’s Lance, or Alberto, or whoever.”

There was a moment of silence, which Bruyneel, seated by Leipheimer at the press conference, quickly broke.

“Or Levi,” he said, putting is arm around the man whose biggest moment of 2009 might still be ahead.

You can reach Staff Writer Eric Branch at 521-5268 or eric.branch@pressdemocrat.com