The 2012 winner, Levi Leipheimer to miss the Tour de San Luis 2013
Former Team Omega Pharma-Quick Step cyclist, Levi Leipheimer will truly be missed at this year’s Tour de San Luis after he was sacked by the team.
The American was amongst the 11 of Lance Armstrong’s former teammates that confessed doping to help USADA in building a stronger case against the seven time Tour de France winner.
He was given a six month ban and was immediately sacked by the American team after his confession.
Other cyclists that admitted the use of performance enhancing drugs include, Frankie Andreu, Michael Barry, Tom Danielson, Tyler Hamilton, George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, Stephen Swart, Christian Vande Velde, Jonathan Vaughters and David Zabriskie.
"I, Levi Leipheimer, accept the following sanction as a result of my doping offenses for my use of the prohibited substances EPO and testosterone and the use of prohibited blood transfusions,” the cyclist admitted.
He continued, “I used prohibited substances and/or prohibited methods during 2000 and 2001 while a member of the United States Postal Service Cycling Team, during 2002 through 2004 while on the Rabobank Cycling Team, during 2005 and 2006 while on the Gerolsteiner
Cycling Team and during 2007 while a member of the Discovery Channel Cycling Team".
Team Omega Pharma-Quick Step is amongst the seven World Tour teams already confirmed to ride the Tour de San Luis 2013 as announced by the team organisers along with Team Movistar, Team Lampre-Merida, Team Astana, Team BMC, Team Katusha and Team Cannondale.
There is still room for three more World Tour teams which will be confirmed later, after UCI finalises the 2013 World Tour sides.
Six professional continental teams have also been confirmed for the seven-day race scheduled from January 21-27.
Those six teams include, Team CSF-INOX, Team Androni-Venezuela, Team Caja Rural, Team Vini Fantini, Team UnitedHealthcare and Team CCC Polkowice.
The final route of the 7th edition of the Tour de San Luis is as under,
Monday 21 January - Stage 1 - San Luis to Villa Mercedes (165 km)
Tuesday 22 January - Stage 2 - Tilisarao to Terraza del Portezuelo (187km)
Wednesday 23 January - Stage 3 - La Punta to Mirador Potrero/La Punta (180km)
Thursday 24 January - Stage 4 - San Luis individual time trial (19.5km)
Friday 25 January - Stage 5 - Juana Koslay to The Carolina (185km)
Saturday 26 January - Stage 6 - Quines to Merlo (131km)
Sunday 27 January - Stage 7 - San Luis to San Luis (160km)
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