Cycling: Leipheimer clinches powerful stage win

SEEFELD, AUSTRIA - American Levi Leipheimer clinched a powerful lone win as German Jens Voigt seized the lead in the Tour of Germany's first mountainous stage yesterday.

Leipheimer, last year's Tour winner, broke away three kilometres from the finish in Seefeld, Austria, to take his first victory since the week-long Dauphine Libere stage race in France in June.

Second, three seconds behind on a stage shortened to 163km by bad weather, was Kazakh Andrey Kashechkin with Italian Marzio Bruseghin third.

"The change in the route didn't affect the racing, it was equally tough with lots of attacks," Leipheimer said.

"Winning a stage like this is always important, I didn't plan it, I just saw the right moment had come."

The Montana-born rider, a disappointing 13th overall in the Tour de France, added: "Winning the Tour of Germany again would be a great result."

When the bunch shattered on the stage's final climb, the Mosern, Leipheimer moved across to leaders Kashechkin and Italian Leonardo Piepoli.

The 32-year-old then roared up the road alone close to the summit and easily fended off his pursuers on the fast descent to the Alpine ski resort of Seefeld.

Fourth on the stage, Voigt now has a slender three-second advantage over Russian Vladimir Gusev with Bruseghin 13 seconds behind.

"My chances of winning overall are 50-50," Voigt said.

"I wasn't the strongest on the last climb, anybody could see that, so we'll have to see what happens [on the next stage] - that's got a lot more mountains."

"In any case, what I've got is in the bank and nobody can take it away from me."

The Tour of Germany ends on Wednesday in Karlsruhe.

- REUTERS