Leipheimer stages Mt. Baldy cycling victory

Levi Leipheimer took care of business during a short but punishing day in the saddle, edging fellow American Chris Horner to win the seventh stage of the Tour of California on Saturday. The RadioShack teammates placed one-two with three-time Tour of California champion Leipheimer winning the 122-kilometre (76-mile) mountainous stage in three hours, 33 minutes, three seconds, while Horner hung onto the overall yellow jersey. "What a fantastic day," said Leipheimer. "The weather, the setting, the scenery, the fans, and especially the course. Our team was perfect today. You just don't get that very much in professional sports a perfect day when everything just clicks." Leipheimer and Horner crossed the finish line just north of the alpine village of Mount Baldy with the same time, then joined hands and raised their arms over their heads. Mount Baldy is 72 km northeast of Los Angeles. "Levi kicked it and I was just hanging onto the train," Horner said. Leipheimer and Horner broke from the rest of pack with less than three kilometres remaining, making the final climb in tandem. Horner has a 38 second lead over Leipheimer in the overall standings. "It's been a fantastic week, and for the RadioShack team it's been unbelievable," said Horner. "Barring anything catastrophic happening, I don't see much chance of losing the leader's jersey tomorrow." The bruising seventh stage featured just three flat kilometres in the final 48 km and one of two summit finishes in the eight-day event that was shortened to seven race events because of bad weather last Sunday. Leipheimer said it seemed like he was back in Europe. "The course is spectacular. It felt like the Tour de France," he said. "I hope this becomes a staple in the Tour of California. It'll be an iconic stage." Dutch cyclist Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank) finished third, 42 seconds adrift. The 39-year-old Horner is now the favourite to take the overall crown. He is the oldest rider in the race after Jens Voigt of Germany withdrew with a broken wrist on Friday. Sunday's stage is expected to finish about the same time that US network CBS will air a broadcast of an investigation into doping allegations against embattled American cycling hero Lance Armstrong. The programme, "60 Minutes", released excerpts this week of former teammates of Armstrong saying they saw the seven time Tour de France winner using performance-enhancing drugs including during his first Tour victory in 1999. Conditions for the initial running of the Claremont to Mount Baldy stage were ideal with almost no wind and temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit). Many of the racers appeared caught off guard by the harrowing steep climb to the finish, saying it is a test that rivals some of the toughest aspects of the Tour de France. "I was suffering," Leipheimer said. "That last kilometre, even though I was winning, I didn't have any power. I was glad to see the end of it." The event ends northwest of downtown Los Angeles on Sunday with the 132 km stage from Santa Clarita to Thousands Oaks.