February 21, 2007 (Santa Rosa, CA) — Germany’s Jens Voigt (CSC) easily outsprinted American race leader Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel) of Santa Rosa and his compatriot Chris Horner (Predictor-Lotto) of Bend, Ore., to win the third and most difficult stage of the Amgen Tour of California today, which included a Category 1 climb.

Voigt, the reigning Tour of Germany champ, was victorious in the 152.2-kilometer Stockton to San Jose road race with a time of 3:43:44. Leipheimer, who has led the eight-day race since his prologue win last Sunday in San Francisco, gained six bonus seconds for finishing second and extended his slim margin from one to three seconds.

Voigt, who gained 10 seconds for the first US race win in his long career, also gained three bonus seconds earlier in the stage to move into second place overall. Horner who finished third today is now third overall, trailing by 15 seconds.

Ryder Hesjedal (Health Net) is the leading the charge for Canada in the field, He finished 18th in a pack 33 riders four seconds behind the leaders and is now 7th overall, trailing Leipheimer by 18 seconds.

Michael Barry (T-Mobile) is 63rd overall trailing by 3:40, while Charles Dionne (Colavita/Sutter Home) is 122nd overall in the remaining field of 130 riders.

Nine riders finished the grueling stage more than 8% behind the leader’s time and were eliminated.

Voight, Leipheimer and Horner were among five riders who reached the top of Sierra Road, the steepest Category 1 climb of the race, after 123 kilometers. The climb, a 600-meter ascent over approximately five kilometers, split the field into several groups.

The top-three finishers eventually rode together in the waning kilometers and entered the finishing city together with the main field in hot pursuit.

The 1,029-kilometer race continues Thursday with the 213.4-kilometer Seaside to San Luis Obispo road race, the longest stage of the event and primarily held on a coastal route.

Results

1. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 3.43.44
2. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
3. Christopher Horner (USA) Predictor-Lotto
4. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank 0.04
5. Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step
6. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team CSC
7. Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Liquigas
8. Dimitri Fofonov (Kaz) Credit Agricole
9. Bram De Groot (Ned) Rabobank
10. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
11. Josep Jufre Pou (Spa) Predictor-Lotto
12. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
13. Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team CSC
14. Mauricio Alberto Ardila Cano (Col) Rabobank
15. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
16. Mads Kaggestad (Nor) Credit Agricole
17. Ben Day (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
18. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
19. Theo Eltink (Ned) Rabobank
20. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner
21. Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
22. Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC
23. Anthony Colby (USA) Colavita Sutter Home
24. Veleriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
25. Danny Pate (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
26. Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile
27. Jakob Piil (Den) T-Mobile
28. Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Predictor-Lotto
29. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas
30. Kim Kirchen (Lux) T-Mobile
31. Christopher Baldwin (USA) Toyota United Pro
32. Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner
33. Justin England (USA) Toyota United Pro
34. Glen Alan Chadwick (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
35. Geert Verheyen (Bel) Quick Step
36. Jason Mccartney (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
37. Bram Tankink (Ned) Quick Step 0.18
38. Steven Cozza (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle 3.03
39. Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
40. Ian McKissick (USA) BMC
41. Lucas Euser (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
42. Ivan Basso (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
43. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC
44. Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step
45. Viktar Rapinski (Blr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
46. Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner
47. John Devine (USA) USA National team
48. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team
49. Adam Hansen (Aus) T-Mobile
50. William Frischkorn (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
51. Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC
52. Christophe Laurent (Fra) Credit Agricole
53. Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Credit Agricole
54. Christophe Kern (Fra) Credit Agricole
55. Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC
56. Fred Rodriguez (USA) Predictor-Lotto
57. Michael Barry (Can) T-Mobile
58. Jason Donald (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
59. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
60. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC
61. Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
62. David Vitoria (Swi) BMC
63. Darren Lill (RSA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
64. Peter Hatton (Aus) Colavita Sutter Home
65. Aaron Olsen (USA) T-Mobile
66. Timothy Johnson (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
67. Andrew Bajadali (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
68. Heath Blackgrove (NZl) Toyota United Pro
69. Luca Paolini (Ita) Liquigas
70. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Quick Step
71. Mauro Facci (Ita) Quick Step
72. Russell Downing (GBr) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
73. Mario Aerts (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
74. Kirk O’bee (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
75. Jonathan Garcia (USA) BMC 9.55
76. Tom Zirbel (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team
77. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Credit Agricole
78. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) T-Mobile
79. Jean Marc Marino (Fra) Credit Agricole
80. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole
81. Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas
82. Torsten Hiekmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
83. Brent Bookwalter (USA) USA National team
84. Thomas Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
85. Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
86. Greg Henderson (NZl) T-Mobile
87. Chris Wherry (USA) Toyota United Pro
88. Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
89. Shawn Milne (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
90. Kyle Gritters (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis
91. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas
92. Charly Wegelius (GBr) Liquigas
93. Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas
94. Edward King (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team
95. Grischa Jan Niermann (Ger) Rabobank 14.51
96. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
97. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
98. Caleb Manion (USA) Toyota United Pro
99. Volker Ordowski (Ger) Gerolsteiner
100. Michael Jones (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
101. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC
102. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step
103. Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank
104. Caleb Fairly (USA) USA National team
105. Charles Dionne (Can) Colavita Sutter Home
106. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner
107. Nic Ingels (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
108. Brice Jones (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
109. Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita Sutter Home
110. Philip Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
111. Michael Sayers (USA) BMC
112. Taylor Tolleson (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle
113. Alexander Candelario (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
114. Brian Sheedy (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team
115. Nicolar Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
116. Brian Vandborg (Den) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
117. Antonio Cruz (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
118. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team CSC
119. Henk Vogels (Aus) Toyota United Pro
120. Nicolas Gates (Aus) Predictor-Lotto
121. Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner
122. Bart Dockx (Bel) Predictor-Lotto
123. Sean Sullivan (Aus) Toyota United Pro
124. Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota United Pro 14.57
125. Garrett Peltonen (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team 17.22
126. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) USA National team
127. Alejandro Acton (Arg) Colavita Sutter Home
128. Davide Frattini (Ita) Colavita Sutter Home
129. Bryce Mead (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
130. Ken Hanson (USA) BMC
DNF Omer Kem (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team

GC after Stage 3

1. Levi Leipheimer (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 12.46.25
2. Jens Voigt (Ger) Team CSC 0.03
3. Rory Sutherland (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 0.15
4. Christopher Horner (USA) Predictor-Lotto 0.16
5. Mauricio Alberto Ardila Cano (Col) Rabobank 0.17
6. Ben Day (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 0.18
7. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 0.19
8. Michael Rogers (Aus) T-Mobile
9. Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 0.2
10. Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team CSC
11. Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 0.23
12. Veleriy Kobzarenko (Ukr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
13. Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC 0.24
14. Christopher Baldwin (USA) Toyota United Pro
15. Kim Kirchen (Lux) T-Mobile 0.25
16. Christian Vandevelde (USA) Team CSC 0.27
17. Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Liquigas
18. Danny Pate (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle 0.28
19. Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Predictor-Lotto 0.29
20. Jason Mccartney (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
21. Mads Kaggestad (Nor) Credit Agricole
22. Justin England (USA) Toyota United Pro 0.3
23. Anthony Colby (USA) Colavita Sutter Home
24. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner 0.31
25. Josep Jufre Pou (Spa) Predictor-Lotto 0.34
26. Bram De Groot (Ned) Rabobank
27. Geert Verheyen (Bel) Quick Step 0.36
28. Jakob Piil (Den) T-Mobile
29. Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
30. Theo Eltink (Ned) Rabobank 0.38
31. Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner 0.39
32. Dimitri Fofonov (Kaz) Credit Agricole 0.43
33. Glen Alan Chadwick (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 0.44
34. Thomas Peterson (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle 0.49
35. Bram Tankink (Ned) Quick Step 0.5
36. Bernhard Kohl (Aut) Gerolsteiner 0.51
37. Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step 0.52
38. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team 3.14
39. Hilton Clarke (Aus) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
40. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Team CSC 3.15
41. George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team
42. Adam Hansen (Aus) T-Mobile
43. Timothy Johnson (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 3.21
44. Ivan Basso (Ita) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 3.23
45. Heath Blackgrove (NZl) Toyota United Pro 3.24
46. Ian McKissick (USA) BMC 3.25
47. Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC 3.26
48. Fred Rodriguez (USA) Predictor-Lotto 3.27
49. Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step 3.28
50. Jonathan Patrick McCarty (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle 3.31
51. Kirk O’bee (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 3.32
52. Christophe Kern (Fra) Credit Agricole
53. Christophe Laurent (Fra) Credit Agricole 3.33
54. Russell Downing (GBr) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 3.34
55. David Vitoria (Swi) BMC
56. Luca Paolini (Ita) Liquigas 3.35
57. Lucas Euser (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle 3.36
58. Mauro Facci (Ita) Quick Step 3.37
59. Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Credit Agricole 3.39
60. Viktar Rapinski (Blr) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
61. Peter Hatton (Aus) Colavita Sutter Home 3.4
62. Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Quick Step
63. Michael Barry (Can) T-Mobile
64. Darren Lill (RSA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team 3.42
65. Jackson Stewart (USA) BMC
66. Andrew Bajadali (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
67. Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC 3.43
68. Jason Donald (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle 3.5
69. Sven Krauss (Ger) Gerolsteiner 3.52
70. John Devine (USA) USA National team 3.54
71. Mario Aerts (Bel) Predictor-Lotto 4.04
72. Aaron Olsen (USA) T-Mobile 4.1
73. William Frischkorn (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle 4.11
74. Steven Cozza (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle 7.55
75. Thomas Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 10.11
76. Karl Menzies (Aus) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 10.14
77. Chris Wherry (USA) Toyota United Pro 10.16
78. Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas 10.18
79. Thor Hushovd (Nor) Credit Agricole 10.19
80. Greg Henderson (NZl) T-Mobile 10.2
81. Shawn Milne (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 10.21
82. Jean Marc Marino (Fra) Credit Agricole
83. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas 10.24
84. Charly Wegelius (GBr) Liquigas
85. Edward King (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team 10.31
86. Sébastien Hinault (Fra) Credit Agricole 10.32
87. Kyle Gritters (USA) Health Net Presented By Maxxis 10.33
88. Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas 10.36
89. Brent Bookwalter (USA) USA National team 10.38
90. Gerald Ciolek (Ger) T-Mobile
91. Jeremy Powers (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
92. Torsten Hiekmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner 10.43
93. Jonathan Garcia (USA) BMC 11.07
94. Tom Zirbel (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team 13.54
95. Taylor Tolleson (USA) Team Slipstream powered by Chipotle 15.1
96. Juan José Haedo (Arg) Team CSC 15.13
97. Brian Vandborg (Den) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 15.14
98. Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank 15.2
99. Philip Zajicek (USA) Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
100. Grischa Jan Niermann (Ger) Rabobank 15.22
101. Bart Dockx (Bel) Predictor-Lotto 15.23
102. Tyler Wren (USA) Colavita Sutter Home 15.24
103. Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step 15.25
104. Antonio Cruz (USA) Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team 15.29
105. Nic Ingels (Bel) Predictor-Lotto 15.33
106. Scott Nydam (USA) BMC 15.35
107. Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
108. Nicolar Reistad (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 15.36
109. Nicolas Gates (Aus) Predictor-Lotto 15.38
110. Ivan Dominguez (Cub) Toyota United Pro 15.39
111. Caleb Manion (USA) Toyota United Pro 15.4
112. Alexander Candelario (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
113. Volker Ordowski (Ger) Gerolsteiner
114. Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank 15.43
115. Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner 15.51
116. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) USA National team 17.57
117. Robert Förster (Ger) Gerolsteiner 19.01
118. Brice Jones (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team
119. Sean Sullivan (Aus) Toyota United Pro 19.03
120. Michael Jones (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 19.1
121. Brian Sheedy (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team 19.12
122. Charles Dionne (Can) Colavita Sutter Home 19.18
123. Henk Vogels (Aus) Toyota United Pro 19.25
124. Michael Sayers (USA) BMC 19.26
125. Caleb Fairly (USA) USA National team 19.29
126. Alejandro Acton (Arg) Colavita Sutter Home 21.24
127. Davide Frattini (Ita) Colavita Sutter Home 21.27
128. Garrett Peltonen (USA) Priority Health Cycling Team 21.28
129. Bryce Mead (USA) Jelly Belly Cycling Team 21.53
130. Ken Hanson (USA) BMC 21.55