Leipheimer chasing 4th Tour of California title

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, California (AP) — Levi Leipheimer will have to fend off a strong international field of Tour de France contenders, including two-time runner-up Andy Schleck, to win his fourth title in the Tour of California.

The 800-mile (1,287-kilometer) race is scheduled to start Sunday with a 118.7-mile (190-kilometer) loop around Lake Tahoe.

The 37-year-old Leipheimer, riding for Radio Shack, was third last year, 25 seconds behind Australia's Michael Rogers. Rogers won't ride this year because of a virus that caused him to miss training time.

"It's been a bit of an up and down year," said Leipheimer, who finished third overall in the Vuelta a Andalucia and eighth in the Paris-Nice races this year. "The past month has been better. We do have a strong team. We have a team that can defend the lead if we take it, and another rider, Chris Horner, who can win it."

Luxembourg's Schleck, second to Spain's Alberto Contador by 39 seconds in last year's Tour de France, has been training near Lake Tahoe for five days. He's competing in California rather than prepare for the Tour de France in the current Tour of Italy.

"It's no secret if I say my goal is the Tour de France," Schleck said. "But here, if I can follow Levi in the climbs, I think I can have a good race."

Schleck and seven Leopard-Trek teammates will take part in the event after teammate Wouter Weylandt of Belgium died Monday following a crash in the third stage of the Tour of Italy.

"I'm not going to sit back and relax in the peloton," said Schleck, whose team will wear black wristbands to honor Weylandt. "I will say I'm going for the classification (overall title) and if there's an opportunity for a stage. But we'll have to see how it goes on the road."

American Dave Zabriskie, second in the Tour of California last year, is also entered in the sixth annual event, as are four other top-10 overall finishers from 2010.

Predicted snow might force organizers to use one of several contingency shortened or re-routed courses. The first stage isn't scheduled dip below 6,200 feet (1,889 meters).

Stage 2 on Monday will begin at Squaw Valley and take the riders 133.2 miles (214 kilometers) to Sacramento. The route will include the climb to Donner Pass at 7,100 feet (2,164 meters) and then a sharply descending route to the city.

In addition to beginning at altitude for the first time, the race will also have two new mountaintop finishes, scheduled in stages 4 and 7.

The eight-day race will end May 22 with an 82.3-mile (132-kilometer) stage from Santa Clarita to Thousand Oaks.