Baldwin Joins Leipheimer in Record Ascent
0 Comments Published by Unknown on Monday, September 3, 2007 at 10:31 AM.
Greenville, S.C. - Chris Baldwin didn’t know if he would have the legs to get all the way to the finish of Sunday’s 110-mile (177 km) USA Cycling Professional Road Race.
After all, the day before, the 31-year-old rode a blazing 18.1-mile (30.7 km) time trial, finishing eighth.
So when Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team) attacked on the third of four ascents of Paris Mountain, Baldwin went with him.
“I had talked to (Toyota-United teammate) Chris Wherry before that and he warned me to watch for attacks on that lap,” Baldwin said. “I told him I would cover everything.”
Little did Baldwin know what he had signed up for.
"He (Leipheimer) just put it in the big ring and went,” Baldwin said. “We were racing in our 39-19 and 39-21 the whole way up.”
“Levi went big ring and everybody else went ‘ugh’ except for Chris,” said Toyota-United’s Burke Swindlehurst, who would go on to finish a team-best 10th place.
“Chris was really the only guy who could go with him,” said teammate Justin England. “It was really impressive.”
Not only the duo ride away from the peloton, but they also climbed Paris Mountain faster than anyone ever had before – obliterating the former record of eight minutes and 54 seconds by 25 seconds.
“It was an awesome effort for Baldwin to follow Leipheimer, though I think Leipheimer was unmatchable today,” said Toyota-United Team Director Harm Jansen.
Baldwin shadowed Leipheimer up the climb and, when the road started going downhill, he tried to catch a breather – without much success.
“Leipheimer is so small that it’s like riding behind a 90-pound motorbike. There’s no draft at all,” Baldwin said.
Wherry initially thought Baldwin and Leipheimer might have made the winning move.
“But I’m sure Chris (Baldwin) was feeling it from the time trial,” Wherry said.
Baldwin and Leipheimer worked together to catch a small breakaway group that had escaped on the first two large laps of the 21-mile (34 km) circuit.
“We didn’t catch them until we came into town,” Baldwin said. “Once we caught ‘em, they were dead. But then Andrew Bajadali (Jelly Belly Cycling Team) and Frank Pipp (Health Net presented by Maxxis) came up. The problem was, those two guys were so strong, the other guys were dead and Levi was 20 percent stronger than all of us.”
The group of leaders stayed together until the final time up Paris Mountain, when Leipheimer attacked and rode the final hour of the race alone. Baldwin lost contact on the climb and eventually withdrew.
“I felt really good today,” he said. “A lot better than I thought I would.”
After all, the day before, the 31-year-old rode a blazing 18.1-mile (30.7 km) time trial, finishing eighth.
So when Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team) attacked on the third of four ascents of Paris Mountain, Baldwin went with him.
“I had talked to (Toyota-United teammate) Chris Wherry before that and he warned me to watch for attacks on that lap,” Baldwin said. “I told him I would cover everything.”Little did Baldwin know what he had signed up for.
"He (Leipheimer) just put it in the big ring and went,” Baldwin said. “We were racing in our 39-19 and 39-21 the whole way up.”
“Levi went big ring and everybody else went ‘ugh’ except for Chris,” said Toyota-United’s Burke Swindlehurst, who would go on to finish a team-best 10th place.
“Chris was really the only guy who could go with him,” said teammate Justin England. “It was really impressive.”
Not only the duo ride away from the peloton, but they also climbed Paris Mountain faster than anyone ever had before – obliterating the former record of eight minutes and 54 seconds by 25 seconds.
“It was an awesome effort for Baldwin to follow Leipheimer, though I think Leipheimer was unmatchable today,” said Toyota-United Team Director Harm Jansen.
Baldwin shadowed Leipheimer up the climb and, when the road started going downhill, he tried to catch a breather – without much success.
“Leipheimer is so small that it’s like riding behind a 90-pound motorbike. There’s no draft at all,” Baldwin said.
Wherry initially thought Baldwin and Leipheimer might have made the winning move.
“But I’m sure Chris (Baldwin) was feeling it from the time trial,” Wherry said.
Baldwin and Leipheimer worked together to catch a small breakaway group that had escaped on the first two large laps of the 21-mile (34 km) circuit.
“We didn’t catch them until we came into town,” Baldwin said. “Once we caught ‘em, they were dead. But then Andrew Bajadali (Jelly Belly Cycling Team) and Frank Pipp (Health Net presented by Maxxis) came up. The problem was, those two guys were so strong, the other guys were dead and Levi was 20 percent stronger than all of us.”
The group of leaders stayed together until the final time up Paris Mountain, when Leipheimer attacked and rode the final hour of the race alone. Baldwin lost contact on the climb and eventually withdrew.
“I felt really good today,” he said. “A lot better than I thought I would.”
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