Levi Leipheimer life and biography

Levi Leipheimer's breakthrough performance was during his inaugural Grand Tour in 2001 at the Vuelta a España, where he finished in third place overall. In 2002 and 2004, he was the second-highest American finisher after Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France, taking eighth and ninth place in respective years. In the 2003 Tour, Leipheimer was forced to pull out after the first road stage when he fractured his pelvis in an accident. In 2004, he was chosen to ride for the United States team in the Olympic Road Race.

Leipheimer started cycling in 1987 as part of a training program for downhill ski racing. Eventually, he switched sports, turning pro in 1997 and riding for Saturn in 1998 and 1999. After a solid 1999 season, when he won the U.S. National Time Trial Championships, Leipheimer was invited to join USPS which he did for two years (2000-2001). Impressed with his 2001 Vuelta a España podium finish, Dutch team Rabobank recruited Leipheimer to be their Tour leader. In his first year with Rabobank, Leipheimer finished eighth overall in his first Tour de France. Following three years with Rabobank, he was recruited by the German Gerolsteiner team, which aspires to become a top Tour De France contender next year.

Interesting Facts

·Leipheimer and his wife, Odessa Gunn, share households with their dogs Bandit and Trooper and six cats.
·The couple is establishing an animal refuge, Freedom Hill. Staunch advocates of animal welfare, they have donated generous sums to organizations including Sonoma County's Forgotten Felines.
·Since 2002, Leipheimer has auctioned off several of his prized Tour de France jerseys to support local charities.
·A horse kicked a two-year-old Levi in the stomach, rupturing his intestines. Much later, in 2002, he underwent an operation for it which resulted in some complications: excess scar tissue from the operation caused blockage that required more surgery. That year, Leipheimer's cycling season was cut short. He was bed ridden for 12 days and dropped to 120 pounds. Levi enjoys watching movies, riding his mountain bike and surfing on the Internet with his Apple Powerbook.
·At 30 Levi was the youngest member of the U.S. Cycling delegation for the Athens Summer Olympics.

Top Results:

2009
1st - Overall, Tour of California
1st- Stage 6, Tour of California

2008
1st - Overall, Tour of California
1st- Stage 5, Tour of California
1st - Prologue, Dauphine Libere
1st- Overall, Cascade Cycling Classic
3rd - Overall, Tour of Georgia
3rd - Overall, Dauphine Libere

2007
1st Overall, Tour of California
1st - Prologue, Tour of California
1st - Stage 5, Tour of California
1st - Stage 19, Tour De France
3rd Overall, Tour De France
1st - Copperopolis Road Race
1st - Stage 4, Tour of Georgia
1st - Stage 5, Tour of Georgia
1st - Stage 3, Tour of Missouri
1st- USPRO Championships
2nd- Overall Deutschland Tour

2006
1st Overall, Dauphine Libere
1st - Prologue, Tour of California
1st - Stage 5, Tour of Germany
1st Overall, King of the Mountains, Tour of Californa
2nd Overall, US Road Race Championships
2nd Overall, Tour of Germany
2nd - Stage 6, Tour of Germany
2nd - Stage 11, Tour De France
3rd - Stage 3, Dauphine Libere
3rd - Stage 4, Dauphine Libere
4th - Stage 2, Tour of California
4th - Stage 6, Dauphine Libere
2nd Overall, US Road Race Championships
5th - Stage 7, Tour of Germany
6th Overall, Tour of California
8th - Stage 5, Dauphine Libere
9th - Stage 3, Tour of California
9th - Stage 16, Tour De France
10th - Stage 15 - Tour De France
13th Overall, Tour De France

2005
7th - Pro Tour Ranking
6th Overall, Tour De France
6th - Stage 10, Tour De France
8th - Stage 11, Tour De France
5th - Stage 14, Tour De France
1st Overall, Tour of Germany
1st - Stage 4, Tour of Germany
4th - Stage 7, Tour of Germany
3rd - Stage 8 ITT, Tour of Germany
3rd Overall, Dauphine Libere
2nd - Prologue, Dauphine Libere
2nd - Stage 3 ITT, Dauphine Libere
7th - Stage 4, Dauphine Libere
10th - Stage 6, Dauphine Libere
6th - Stage 7, Dauphine Libere
2nd Overall, Tour of Georgia
6th - Stage 2, Tour of Georgia
6th - Stage 3 ITT, Tour of Georgia
2nd - Stage 5, Tour of Georgia

2004
9th Overall, Tour de France
13th - Prologue, Tour de France
12th - Stage 3, Tour de France
17th - Stage 10, Tour de France
15th - Stage 11, Tour de France
16th - Stage 12, Tour de France
19th - Stage 13, Tour de France
5th - Stage 15, Tour de France
7th - Stage 17, Tour de France
12th - Stage 19, Tour de France
1st - Stage 4, Setmana Catalana
5th - Stage 8, Paris-Nice
5th - Stage 5b, Vuelta a Pais Vasco
5th - Overall, Vuelta a Pais Vasco
7th - Stage 5, Tour Mediterranean
10th - Overall, Tour Mediterranean

2003
6th - Overall, Dauphiné Libéré
13th - Elite Men's Time Trial World Championships
8th - Stage 20, Vuelta a Espana

2002
1st - Overall, Route du Sud

2001
1st - Stage 1, Sea Otter Classic
3rd - Overall, Vuelta a Espana
4th - World Time Trial Championships
2nd - Overall, Vuelta a Castilla-Leon
5th - Overall, Vuelta a Murcia


CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2001 Vuelta a Espana, Overall - 3rd Place
2001 World Championships, Time Trial - 4th Place
2002 Route du Sud, Overall - 1st Place
2004 Setmana Catalana, Stage 4, 1st Place
2005 Tour of Germany, 1st Place Overall and Stage Winner
2005 Dauphine Libere, 3rd Overall
2005 Tour of Georgia, 2nd Overall
2006 Tour of California Prologue, 1st Place
2006 Dauphine Libere, 1st Overall
2006 Deutschland Tour, 2nd Overall and Stage Winner
2007 Tour of California, 1st Overall and Stage Winner
2007 Tour de France, 3rd Overall and Stage Winner
2007 Deutschland Tour, 2nd Overall
2007 USPRO National Road Race, National Champion
2008 Tour of California, 1st Overall and Stage Winner
2008 Dauphine Libere, 3rd Overall and Stage Winner
2008 Cascade Classic, 1st Overall and Stage Winner
2008 Olympic Games, Time Trial Bronze Medalist
2009 Tour of California, 1st Overall and Stage Winner

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