Euser last at Tour’s Stage 5 time trials

Local cyclist conserves energy for final weekend of race

From The Associated Press

After Thursday’s Stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California cycling race, Napa native Lucas Euser (Team Slipstream Powered by Chipotle) knew he was going to take Friday’s Stage 6 individual time trials easy so as to rest himself before today’s 105.4-mile Stage 7.

And that’s exactly what the 23-year old did, finishing last in the 127-rider contest.

Euser’s time clocked in 6 minutes and18.56 seconds behind winner Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel), who notched a 29:40.44. Euser now stands in 69th place — 9.55 behind Leipheimer, who will retain his yellow jersey another day.

Leipheimer, the last of 127 riders on the 14.5-mile course, completed the windy Solvang individual time trial at an average speed of 29.44 mph.

Euser’s focus today will be to keep teammate Danny Pate toward the front of the pack along with assisting Tom Peterson with King of the Moutain points on all four of the climbs.

Jens Voigt (CSC), who began the day trailing Leipheimer by three seconds in the overall standings, finished second. Jason McCartney (Discovery Channel) was third in 30:05.14.

Fabian Cancellara (CSC), the reigning time trial world titlist, finished fourth in 30:17.91.

Santa Rosa native Leipheimer, a three-time top-10 Tour de France finisher and former Tour of Germany winner, now leads the race by 21 seconds over Voigt with two stages of the eight-day race remaining.

McCartney is third overall, trailing the race leader by 54 seconds.

“I was taking some risks,” said Leipheimer, who rode with a new riding position. “At one point, I actually clipped a bush with my shoulder. Looking back, I was really going for it.”

Leipheimer won the prologue in San Francisco last Sunday by one second but had not won a race stage in two years. He finished sixth last year.

The 639.2-mile race continues today begining in Santa Barbara and ending in Santa Clarita. The race concludes with the seventh stage circuit race Sunday in Long Beach.

The Register’s Erin Lawley contributed to this report.

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