Levi Leipheimer Interview
By Tommy W. Murphy
Nov 21, 2004, 12:06

Levi Leipheimer:

DOB: 24 October, 1973

Height: 5'7"/170 cm
Weight: 135 lbs.
Pro since: 1997

2005 Team: Gerolsteiner

Team Website: www.gerolsteiner.de/cycling/

Previous Teams:

2002-2004 – Rabobank

2000-2001 – US Postal Service

1998-1999 – Saturn

Career Highlights:

9th Place, 2004 Tour de France

2004 Member, US Olympic Cycling Team

8th Place, 2002 Tour de France

3rd Place, 2001 Vuelta a Espana

4th Place, 2001 World Championships, Individual Time Trial

1999, US National Time Trial Champion

Levi Leipheimer. Photo copyright Paul Sampara/Roadcycling.com.

Recently RoadCycling.com caught up with American Levi Leipheimer...

Levi was born in Montana, and like many professional cyclists comes from a ski racing background. While competing in downhill, super- g, slalom and giant slalom, Levi turned to cycling for his off-season training. At the age of 17, Levi crashed heavily in a downhill race at Jackson Hole, Wyoming compressing his vertebrae. Following his accident, Leipheimer became more and more involved in cycling and made his move to Belgium when he was 20 years old to race professionally.

Levi's career took a major step forward in 2001 when riding for the US Postal Service; he finished third in the Vuelta a España. Following his podium finish at the Vuelta, Levi went on to take fourth in the individual time trial at World's. In 2002 and after a change to Rabobank, Levi rode to an eighth place finish in the Tour de France in his first attempt at the Grand Daddy of Grand Tours.

In 2003, Leipheimer designed his entire season at arriving at the Tour de France in top form with his eyes fixed on finishing in the top 5 overall. But Levi's Tour was quickly cut short when he went crashing down in the finish-line pile-up coming into Meaux in the Tour's first stage. The highly-criticized finish, spelled doom for Rabobank losing both Leipheimer and fellow teammate Mark Lotz to the pile-up. Levi fractured his pelvis and badly damaged the muscles in his left leg, leaving him hospitalized as the Tour continued.

2004 saw the return of a rejuvenated Levi Leipheimer with a stage win at Semana Catalana, his selection for the US Olympic Team, and his second top ten finish at the Tour de France. Just recently turning 31, Levi recounts his Tour, the Olympics and looks ahead to 2005.

Congratulations on a great season and Happy Birthday Levi. Any big presents this year?

LL:  My wife (Odessa) got me a very nice black wool jacket.

RC:  You’ve had quite the season with your 9^th Place Tour de France finish, the Olympics and now the recent change to Gerolsteiner. Looking back at your season, what do you consider the highlights of your year? Any lows?

LL:  The highlights of my year are winning the big mountain stage at Semana Catalana in March and finishing 9^th in the Tour. The experience of the Olympics was also a highlight. There weren’t any low points to mention.

RC:  Have you had the chance to meet your new Gerolsteiner teammates yet? Do you know many of the guys?

LL:  I haven’t met with the team yet. I do know some of the guys. I was teammates with the Zberg brothers on Rabobank and I have spoken to Georg Totschnig about coming to the team.

RC:  When do you see yourself making the trip back over the pond?

LL:  We have our first training camp in Mallorca in the middle of January.

RC:  Last year (2003), your Tour was cut short after fracturing your hip in Stage 1. (The same wreck that Tyler Hamilton fractured his collar bone in.) How do you feel about your Tour performance this year?

LL:  I finished my Tour knowing that I could have done better. The first year I finished, I was overwhelmed. This year I threw time away in the Pyrenees when I bonked. It was a stupid mistake but easily fixed. That mistake actually helps motivate me for the future. I know I can do better.

RC:  What were your best moments in the race?

LL:  My best moments in the Tour were in the Alps during the 3rd week. I prefer a difficult 3rd week when the others are slowing down.

Levi Leipheimer and Richard Virenque working hard in the 2004 Tour de France (Stage 15 from Valreas - Villard-de-Lans). Photo copyright Cor Vos.

RC:  Any really bad ones?

LL:  The stage to Plateau de Beille when I did the last 10 km on fumes. I was so broken at the finish, it was the worst I have ever felt.

RC:  How did you like the cobbles and what did you think of L’Alpe d’ Huez?

LL:  I think the cobbles in the Tour was a bad idea. Of course, it created a selection that ended up working in my favor but it could have created problems for anyone. It makes a volatile situation. Alpe D’Huez was crazy. The fans were out of their minds. It was like being in a cage while thousands of these crazed fans scraped and clawed at you.

RC:  Following the 2002 Tour, you had to undergo some emergency stomach and intestinal surgery caused from an injury as a child when you were kicked by a horse. How have you recovered from all of that? Is that an injury that continues to cause you problems?

LL:  I was kicked by a horse in the stomach when I was 2 years old. It split my large intestine and created a lot of scar tissue due to the surgery. During the Tour of Holland in 2002 I suffered an intestinal blockage due to the scar tissue. It was also caused by something else that I have come to learn from the whole ordeal. I don’t digest fruit well unless I eat it at breakfast. Basically, my digestive system needs to be clear to process fruit. During the Tour of Holland I had eaten a large bowl of fruit following the TT, I was dehydrated and all these factors created a bowel obstruction. Now I only eat fruit for breakfast and I don’t have any problems at all.

RC:  After your injury in the Tour last year, do you feel like you’re back to 100%?

LL:  Yes, my injury in the Tour last year wasn’t anything serious, just enough to stop me from continuing in the Tour. A fractured pelvis.

RC:  How was your Olympic experience?

LL:  I really had a great time at the Olympics. It was an experience I will always remember. Being in the athlete’s village was extraordinary.

RC:  What did you think of the race and the team?

LL:  The Olympics is not the pinnacle of the sport so the race wasn’t like the Tour but it was special, that’s for sure. Our team worked very well together, we supported each other well and aimed for the best result possible for the team.

Leipheimer was in demand at the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Photo copyright Rob Jones.

RC:  There’s been a lot going on in the world of racing this year. What do you think about all of the changes and the new ProTour?

LL:  I think the ProTour can be a very good change. Our schedule as it is now is too long with too many races and that devalues the sport. Hopefully the ProTour will bring fresh air into cycling.

RC:  Are there any particular races beside the Tour de France that you consider a major objective for next year?

LL:  The Tour is the main objective for me. It is the race where I can use my strengths and abilities. I’m not a rider for the classics or for the early season. Depending on how the Tour goes, it will affect my other goals such as the Vuelta or shorter stage races.

RC:  If we see the UCI ProTour and the Organizations of the Grand Tours come together, will there be a chance of you doubling-up on Grand Tours?

LL:  It really depends on how the Tour goes for me.

RC:  What are your thoughts on the 2005 Tour de France route? It should prove to be a very competitive course with the decreased individual time trial miles and fewer mountain top finishes.

LL:  The longer TT on the first day will affect the race, putting more pressure on the favorites for the overall from the beginning of the race. The main thing is that the riders make the race, not the route. It will be as difficult as ever and the best rider will win.

RC:  Looking at the 2005 route, many are speculating that the race will come down to the strongest teams with a big focus on the team time trial. Last year, Gerolsteiner lost a considerable amount of time in the TTT. Where do you see the team looking for help in improving their performance?

LL:  I was shocked to see Gerolsteiner lose as much as they did in 2004. I think they had problems because they are normally a very strong team in the time trials. I believe that the core group of guys going to the Tour can dedicate a few days in our different training camps to training for the TTT.

RC:  So how did Fillmore Hill treat you at San Francisco? That’s a tough climb. What kind of gearing did you use for the race?

LL:  San Francisco was a great race and I really hope it can continue to grow and attract bigger and better fields. Personally, I wish Fillmore was longer so it would lend itself to the climbers more. I used a 39x27 for the race.

RC:  Any chance of seeing you race in the states again next year (Philly, Georgia, the Tour of Texas)?

LL:  You never know, I would love to fly the Gerolsteiner and Specialized colors in the US next year.

RC:  This year has proven to be another controversial year for drugs. How do you feel about the testing and its validity?

LL:  We may never know if the tests are valid or not. That is a shame because I believe there are innocent athletes taken down with the guilty ones.

RC:  How often do you undergo testing?

LL:  I have undergone “no-advanced-notice, out-of-competition” testing for the past 5 years. I have done on average 4 of these tests a year. They show up at my door and I am required to provide a sample. Then there is always the races when you win, lead, picked for random or at the beginning of all the Grand Tours. These test average out to about 6-10 times a year. So on average I am tested 10-14 times a year. Of course the better you ride the more you are tested.

RC:  Have you had the opportunity to talk to Tyler Hamilton about his situation and the troubles around Phonak?

LL:  I called Tyler within a few days of the news breaking in the Tour of Spain. He was understandably busy and our conversation was brief. I asked him a little about the situation and he seemed very confident it would work out for him in the end. I know he is going through a very difficult time. He has the chance to really put this new blood test to “the test”. I don’t believe Tyler would take such a risk.

RC:  What are some of your plans for the off-season?

LL:  I have had a great off season so far. Doing the things I love; Mt biking with friends on all the best trails in NorCal, catching up with our friends who we don’t get to see for most of the year, and really just relaxing.

RC:  Have you begun your training and preparation for next year?

LL:  Yes, my last race was San Francisco so I had to start sooner rather than later. Some guys race until the end of October so they can take time off until the end of November or even until December.

RC: Alright, it’s time for the ‘Lightening Round’...

RC:  Do you shave or wax?

LL:  Shave

RC:  How many miles do you normally log in a year?

LL:  5 times as many as I put on my car.

RC:  Does Odessa ride with you much?

LL:  Odessa and ride together as much as possible.

RC:  What’s your favorite thing to eat (and or drink) on the bike?

LL:  There are products out there I think are really great but I would get in trouble if I answered that right nowJ

RC:  You hear a lot about Lance Armstrong’s coach and other coaches out there. Do you have a coach?

LL:  I have worked with the trainer on Rabobank for the past 3 years. Dr Massimo Testa is helping me while I transition onto Gerolsteiner. He lives 1.5 hour from me and I consider him a valuable resource.

RC:  Do you sleep in an altitude tent/room as part of your training?

LL:  No

RC:  What did you dress up as for Halloween?

LL:  Didn’t make it that far this year.

RC:  Do you have any secret training tips you can share with us?

LL:  Train your strengths and do the training you love to do. Don’t force yourself to do things. It will not make you faster or happier.

Thanks for your time Levi. Happy Holidays!