How long can Levi Leipheimer hold onto the yellow jersey at the Dauphiné Libéré bike race, which ends Sunday in Grenoble?
On the combined strengths of his time-trial abilities and climbing skills the Gerolsteiner team leader has achieved and retained the yellow jersey for two days without winning a stage. And more mountains loom in the distance.
Frenchman Ludovic Turpin won Friday's 96-mile race from Sisteron to Briancon on a route that led cyclists over a hors categorie mountain; Leipheimer finished in a pack that included George Hincapie that finished 48 seconds later.
[Discovery's Johan Bruyneel talks about his Tour de France strategy and Hincapie]
After summiting Mount Ventoux on Thursday and Col d'Izoard on Friday, the racers face two hors categorie climbs on Saturday's 96-mile tour through the French Alps — Col du Galibier and Col de la Croix de Fer. The race finishes on a category 1 climb up to La Toussuire.
Leipheimer must hold his slim 28-second lead over Russian Denis Menchov, winner of last year's Vuelta a Espana. With his sights on the Tour de France beginning July 1, is it worth the price to spend his energy now? Perhaps so, he'll have more than two weeks to recover.
Others in the hunt include Christophe Moreau and Francisco Mancebo (both of AG2R Prevoyance) who are 1:48 and 1:49 behind and Jose Azevedo (Discovery) who sits 2 minutes back.
Among the Americans, Discovery's Hincapie is in 7th at 3:02 behind; David Zabriskie (CSC) is in 18th at 6:57; Floyd Landis (Phonak) is in 43rd at 16:45 behind.
More details at CyclingNews and VeloNews.
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