SACRAMENTO — New dates, new team, new route. But does it all add up to the same result for Levi Leipheimer, Mr. California?
That's how Lance Armstrong anointed the Santa Rosa cyclist as the fifth annual Amgen Tour of California begins today in the former gold-mining town of Nevada City.
"This is your Super Bowl, right?," Armstrong said, glancing toward his teammate Friday during the pre-race news conference. "You're Mr. California."
Armstrong's remarks directly addressed the omnipresent question: Riding in first major U.S stage race with his new RadioShack team, in a race moved from February to May and on a route that features new cities and the event's first substantial mountain ascent, can Leipheimer win his fourth straight title?
Shortened by one stage from last year, the Tour of California will feature 16 teams, a 128-rider field and about 810 miles of racing in eight days. Last year's prologue time trial in Sacramento has been replaced by an open 104.2-mile road stage to the capital.
"There's a lot new about this year's Tour of California," said Leipheimer, who has won six stages of the race in its four editions and was victorious by 36 seconds over Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions) last year. "It is in May as opposed to February and the whole feeling of it is different.
"It's summertime outside, although they are calling for showers on Monday. Santa Rosa just loves the rain but hopefully it's not too bad. The weather is different and the riders in the peloton are much more fit."
Following the 110-mile second stage Monday from Davis to Santa Rosa, the event will progress to San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Modesto, Visalia, Bakersfield, Palmdale, Big Bear Lake, Los Angeles and a trio of finishing areas — Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and Agoura Hills — on its final day, May 23.
Leipheimer, 36, the third-place finisher in the 2007 Tour de France, finished sixth in the debut Tour of California in 2006. But he has since dominated what is now the largest cycling event in the nation. He's led the event for a combined 22 days.
"Personally, I've done races in Europe already and haven't done that for three of four years now because of the Tour of California," said Leipeheimer. "We are going up higher in the mountains at Big Bear and I'm looking forward to seeing exactly what happens that day. It's definitely going to make for some tired legs the next day, so we will see.
"For me, the highlight is the start in Nevada City because Lance and I and Chris Horner were there for the Nevada City Classic last year, the second-oldest race in America, with a lot of history. It was a great race, tough and a really cool little town, an old mining town."
Leipheimer will attempt to claim his fourth straight title as leader of the new team announced by Armstrong last July in the waning days of the Tour de France.
In addition to Leipheimer and Armstrong, who finished seventh last year in the second race of his comeback following a 3?-year retirement, Zabriskie and Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) of Australia will also return as will 2009 fourth-place finisher Jens Voigt of Germany.
Mark Cavendish (HTC Columbia) of Great Britain, who won six Tour de France stages last year, Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) of Luxembourg, who finished second overall in the Tour de France last year, Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank), this year's Paris-Roybaix titlist, and reigning U.S national champion George Hincapie (BMC) of Greenville, S.C., are also in the field.
Armstrong and Leipheimer rode for Astana in 2009, the squad that featured two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador of Spain.
Armstrong took Leipheimer and the rest of his Tour de France team, except Contador, to his new tea.
"This is a big race for us with Radio Shack involved," said Armstrong. "... It's no secret this is a priority for us."
Armstrong finished seventh in the Tour of California last year, while riding in a support for Leipheimer. He then finished third in the Tour de France.
"I would take it a step further and say this race is second for us only to the Tour de France," said Armstrong. "Obviously Levi is focused on it to win again, and we have the guys to support him. But ... it's eight days and anything can happen and anyone can win. There are a lot of good guys in the race. But we're excited and we're motivated."
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