February 25, 2007 (Long Beach, CA) — The seventh and final stage of the Amgen Tour of California 2007 starts at 1 pm local time (4 pm EST). The Long Beach-Long Beach (Circuit race), 124.7km stage concludes the eight-day, 1,029-kilometer stage race.

The remaining 118 riders from a starting field of 144 a week ago in San Francisco will negotiate ten 12.1-kilometer flat circuits that primarily parallels San Pedro Bay.

The race’s finale is billed as the event’s easiest stage, but the expected high speeds always present the potential for catastrophe.

“Everyone thinks it will be the easiest stage, a parade,” said race leader Levi Leipheimer (Discovery Channel), who will begin the stage with a 21-second race margin over German Jens Voigt (CSC). “But it will be very fast.” The stage includes part of the famous Long Beach Grand Prix course used for CART race cars

Leipheimer, who has held the race lead since winning the prologue, maintained his margin in the animated and aggressively ridden sixth stage. But it didn’t occur without damage. Leipheimer’s teammates, George Hincapie and Tony Cruz, crashed in the opening miles but returned to finish the stage.

But Hincapie suffered and fractures wrist, abandoned the race and was operated on this morning. He returned to the event and, according to team representatives, will likely miss the spring Classics season.