Levi Leipheimer Quotations

I got chills on the starting ramp. When I hit the hill, the crowd was deafening. It felt like I was riding on air. It was like the Tour De France.

That was a really hard day today. For a long time, we didn't know if our tactic would work. But it did. And now it's become a little more realistic that I can win this tour.

We didn't go more than 500 meters without someone cheering us on.

It was a huge battle; it was technical. You wanted to stay up front and out of the crashes. Everybody wanted to be there, so it was full gas and no holding back.

After the first two mountain stages people realized Lance was as good as ever.

It's going to be a moving postcard. The Tour de France needs to watch over its shoulder because this will be that big. I believe in it. Right out of the gate, the first year, they're going to have maybe the best field the U.S. has ever seen.

It's tough for guys like George, Horner and me to do anything because everybody watches us. But I told Fabian for the last three weeks that San Francisco has got your name written all over it!

It will be like riding in the Tour de France. We've got hills, time trials, road races and wind. Of course, it's not as severe, but it's a mini-Tour de France, and it's in our back yard.

It's really a dream come true. I've been training all winter and dreaming about wearing that yellow jersey into my home town.

I'm disappointed. I knew all along (Wednesday) was the most important day. But physically, I wasn't having my best day.

I hope he stops by. It will definitely help and we need his help. He's done a lot for cycling. He's introduced the sport to many people. I think it would be great if he stopped by. Cheer me on.

I heard reports last night that they might be expecting 50,000. I thought that was a little much.

If I'm riding very strong and I have a chance to win, I have to show them I'm willing to give everything. They need to know I think I can win so they're willing to give their all to support me.

The circuits (those final laps) were amazing. People were hanging out of the parking garages four stories high.