A month after being hit by a car and suffering a fractured fibula, Levi Leipheimer has expressed uncertainty about being able to take part in the Amgen Tour of California.
The three time race winner has been trying to come back and contest this year’s race, but both he and his team have today confirmed that he is not yet at 100 percent.
"There's still pain in my leg," Leipheimer said. "There's soreness when I try and apply a little more force or get out of the saddle. I can still train, but it is not easy. I'm not sure about my participation in Tour of California at this point."
The 2012 Amgen Tour begins in ten days’ time in his hometown of Santa Rosa. The location has given him additional incentive to be part of the race.
However even if Leipheimer is able to take the start, the injury means that he is likely to be far off his best form. Defending champion Chris Horner and others have been preparing without issues for the 2.HC ranked event, and will logically have better condition than the Omega Pharma Quick Step rider.
The American started his first season with the team in a strong fashion, winning two stages plus the overall classification in the Tour de San Luis. He also looked set for a top three overall finish in Paris-Nice but crashed on the penultimate day.
Leipheimer was aiming to challenge in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco but on April 1st, one day before the Spanish race, he was hit by a car while out training. At first it was thought that he had suffered muscle contusions, but x-rays later confirmed the fracture.
The Omega Pharma Quick Step team has said that it will monitor his condition in the days ahead and will then decide if he is healthy enough to be selected for the race.