AP – Chris Horner, left, and teammate Levi Leipheimer cross the finish line together during Stage 7 of the … MOUNT BALDY, Calif. – Levi Leipheimer slipped ahead in the final yards to claim the mountainous seventh stage of the Tour of California on Saturday, while RadioShack teammate Chris Horner finished second just behind and solidified his pending overall race title.
After going to the front with Horner with just less than two miles left, Leipheimer, the former three-time race winner, completed the 75.8-mile stage from Claremont to Mount Baldy in 3 hours, 33 minutes and 1 second.
Horner, who began day with a 38-second cushion over Leipheimer, eased at the line and was second in the same time. Laurent Ten Dams (Rabobank) of the Nertherlands finished third, trailing by 42 seconds.
The weeklong race ends Sunday with the 82.3-mile stage from Santa Clarita to Thousands Oaks.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
MOUNT BALDY, Calif. (AP) — Levi Leipheimer slipped ahead in the final yards to win the mountainous seventh stage of the Tour of California on Saturday, while RadioShack teammate Chris Horner finished second just behind and solidified his pending overall race title.
After going to the front with Horner with just less than two miles left, Leipheimer, the former three-time race winner, completed the 75.8-mile stage from Claremont to Mount Baldy in 3 hours, 31 minutes, 1 second.
Horner, who began day with a 38-second cushion over Leipheimer, eased at the line, gave Leipheimer a nudge forward, was second in the same time but maintained his same race margin.
Laurent Ten Dams (Rabobank) of the Netherlands finished third, trailing by 42 seconds.
Tom Danielson (Garmin-Cervelo) moved up to third overall, trailing by 2:45.
The seventh stage featured nearly 25 miles of climbing and its finish at Mount Baldy (elevation 7,930 feet) was the highest in race history.
"Barring anything catastrophic happening, I don't see much chance of losing the (race) leader's jersey tomorrow," said Horner, 39, the oldest rider in the field who finished fourth in the event last year, one position behind Leipheimer.
Horner and Leipheimer rode much of the race surrounded by teammates protecting the race leader's advantage. As the steepest sections of the course approached, Horner and Leipheimer pulled away from their teammates.
"I'm happy. I showed that I could have won (the overall title)," said Leipheimer, who had early season injuries. "But my teammate was better and there's nothing wrong with that."
Leipheimer won the event three consecutive years beginning in 2007 after winning time trials in Solvang en route to his titles.
Leipheimer also won the prologue the race's first two years, but had never won a road stage. Leipheimer finished second in the stage 6 time trial, while Horner placed sixth.
The weeklong race ends Sunday with the 82.3-mile stage from Santa Clarita to Thousands Oaks.
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