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Leipheimer 10km rule
A massive crash in Santa Rosa with two laps to go put Levi Leipheimer out of contact (Image credit: Jonathan Devich)
The 2007 edition was tailor-made for California native Levi Leipheimer, and with a repeat victory on the same prologue up San Francisco's climb to Coit Tower, it should have been another yellow-jersey homecoming to Santa Rosa and smooth sailing until the Solvang individual time trial with few other stages to interfere with his maillot jaune.
But a crash on the stage 1 circuit in Santa Rosa with 10km to go put Leipheimer in a chasing group that finished well behind sprint winner Graeme Brown.
In the front group was Ben Jacques-Maynes of the Priority Health continental team, who had been third in the prologue and, under current UCI rules, should have been the new race leader.
"Due to the size of the crash and the large number of riders that went down in the crash, our panel of commissaires made a decision to award all the riders with the time of the winner," Jim Birrell, the then-race director said. "I think it was a fair decision and the right decision."
Jacques-Maynes was gracious with the loss of what could have been a defining moment in his career: "I'm not in a position to question the commissaires and I just have to live with it keep racing my bike. I'm paid to pedal, and they are paid to make those decisions. It is hard to swallow that, but that is what we have to do."
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Laura Weislo has been with Cyclingnews since 2006 after making a switch from a career in science. As Managing Editor, she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news. As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track, Laura has a passion for all three disciplines. When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads, paths and gravel tracks. Laura specialises in covering doping, anti-doping, UCI governance and performing data analysis.
