# Levi to Quick-Step



## RRRoubaix (Aug 27, 2008)

Confirmed (finally)!
Quick Step announces signature of Levi Leipheimer on two year contract

Seems like kind of an odd collection of talent to me though... Leipheimer, Martin, Boonen, Chavanel, the Velits brothers, Ciolek...
It's good though and I'm looking forward to seeing them at the classics in 2012!


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

RRRoubaix said:


> Confirmed (finally)!
> Quick Step announces signature of Levi Leipheimer on two year contract
> 
> Seems like kind of an odd collection of talent to me though... Leipheimer, Martin, Boonen, Chavanel, the Velits brothers, Ciolek...
> It's good though and I'm looking forward to seeing them at the classics in 2012!


I was thinking the same thing - Martin and Levi, Velits, quite a lineup.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

I get the impression that Lefevre has had to scramble to rebuild the team after transfer season... the cost of success is the stars leave and you have to keep rebuilding. 

I also bet, here and now, that Levi will have another strong season next year, including taking a Classic.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Levi will help Quickstep gain American exposure. Hmm. Maybe I need to re-tile my kitchen floor....


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

Creakyknees said:


> I get the impression that Lefevre has had to scramble to rebuild the team after transfer season... the cost of success is the stars leave and you have to keep rebuilding.
> 
> I also bet, here and now, that Levi will have another strong season next year, including taking a Classic.


I'll take that bet no way Levi wins a classic. Tour of Cali and Utah/Colorado sure. I bet he dosen't win a race in Europe.


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## bwhite_4 (Aug 29, 2006)

Lotto Quickstep wants the points that Levi brings. They'll also have a small presence in US races now. I doubt he'll be a captain or team leader in the Euro races - if so - only because he's been in the game for so long. I doubt we'll see the same results we saw with him under JB though.


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## AdamM (Jul 9, 2008)

Glad to see Levi get a good contract. 

I agree that the team line up seems to lack focus.


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## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

You won't see LL at Classics because he doesn't do them. He usually disappears in April and resurfaces in June.

I can see him doing a few Euro stage races (Paris-Nice, Switzerland, and one of those earlier races in Spain) as well as some of the USA races. He'll do the Tour also where I guess he'll be the GC leader for his team but QS will probably have a more realistic goal of him finishing in the top 10 vs. making the podium. 

He's had issues with his previous Euro teams (Gerolsteiner, Rabobank) so it will be interesting if he ride comfortably with one again.


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## RRRoubaix (Aug 27, 2008)

Indeed.
I can certainly see where he'd want out of the Radi-O-pard team, but I'm not sure QSI (er.. OPQ? Whatever) is the place for his skillset.

That said, I hope Creaky is right- I'd love to see him do well in the classics! (Ardennes more likely than cobbles, I suppose...) :thumbsup:


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## beingcre8tive (Dec 3, 2011)

I wonder if Levi's move has anything to do with Chris Horners win of Tour of California? It will be interesting to see how he does next year though.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

beingcre8tive said:


> I wonder if Levi's move has anything to do with Chris Horners win of Tour of California? It will be interesting to see how he does next year though.


hopefully both aim higher


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

hopefully QS will get Levi focused on the races he excels in
they have always been good at that


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

QS now has a solid stage racing team. They'll get some wins for sure. If Levi can stay healthy there's no reason he couldn't win Switzerland or one of the 7-9 day races around then. He will also be a good mentor for Tony Martin who has a similar skillset.


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## eekase (Nov 10, 2009)

*Have to agree.....*



32and3cross said:


> I'll take that bet no way Levi wins a classic. Tour of Cali and Utah/Colorado sure. I bet he dosen't win a race in Europe.


....with you, ToC, yep, but I just don't him winning anything on that side of the pond.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

moonmoth said:


> You won't see LL at Classics because he doesn't do them. He usually disappears in April and resurfaces in June.
> 
> I can see him doing a few Euro stage races (Paris-Nice, Switzerland, and one of those earlier races in Spain) as well as some of the USA races. He'll do the Tour also where I guess he'll be the GC leader for his team but QS will probably have a more realistic goal of him finishing in the top 10 vs. making the podium.


I wouldn't total be surprised if he didn't do at least one cobbled classic to 'pay it forward' for the support he'll get during the tour.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

AJL said:


> I wouldn't total be surprised if he didn't do at least one cobbled classic to 'pay it forward' for the support he'll get during the tour.


yeah I can really see Levi bashing it out in Paris-Roubaix.......
has he ever ridden the race before? Seems like he did flanders once, a decade ago.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

AJL said:


> I wouldn't total be surprised if he didn't do at least one cobbled classic to 'pay it forward' for the support he'll get during the tour.


I doubt that will happen, he might do L-B-L but Quickstep has better options for the cobbled classics and risking their GC guy to injury for a little bit of work would not be worth it.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

Well, I guess I was remember (perhaps incorrectly) that Armstrong used to do this, like one race. But Levi is a waif compared to LA, so maybe it's a bad comparison.


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## trailrunner68 (Apr 23, 2011)

beingcre8tive said:


> I wonder if Levi's move has anything to do with Chris Horners win of Tour of California? It will be interesting to see how he does next year though.


Leipheimer has his best results ever and he was not offered a contract extension because testifying to the grand jury poisoned his relationship with Bruyneel and Armstrong.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

AJL said:


> Well, I guess I was remember (perhaps incorrectly) that Armstrong used to do this, like one race. But Levi is a waif compared to LA, so maybe it's a bad comparison.



Actually the only classics Armstrong usually rode were L-B-L and Amstel Gold and he was always the protected rider. He did do Flanders once or twice for GH but it was not a regular thing.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

32and3cross said:


> Actually the only classics Armstrong usually rode were L-B-L and Amstel Gold and he was always the protected rider. He did do Flanders once or twice for GH but it was not a regular thing.


5 flanders. And 8 milano-san-remo. but I don't think the team ever had anyone they rode for, it seemed to be more of a long hard training ride. 
and no I don't recall ever seeing him being Hincapie for Hincapie


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## jhamlin38 (Oct 29, 2005)

*levi to qs*

I actually like the move. It also appears to be a strong team. I've always thought that Martin and the Velits bros were ready to explode onto the scene. That seems like a formidable team.
I can see Levi doing LBL or Amstel in support of a protected rider.
I'd also like to see Levi and Martin riding in Utah or Colorado before a bigger European Tour with some success to lend support for using the high altitude to facilitate the success of those two races.
I've always pulled for Levi and wish him continued success.


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## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

jhamlin38 said:


> I can see Levi doing LBL or Amstel in support of a protected rider.


I can't, but let's see if an old dog can change. LL attributes his longevity to both starting his Euro career late *and* not riding classics. Not seeing that he'll change his usual plans to be stateside in April but who knows?


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

eekase said:


> ....with you, ToC, yep, but I just don't him winning anything on that side of the pond.



Nope; Levi doesn't win European races....


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

Well, I wouldn't go that far:

From Wikipedia -


Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (2006)
Deutschland Tour (2006)
Tour de Suisse (2011)
Vuelta a Castilla y León (2009)

And he's had some good placings in other short GTs.
I have no idea if he will win any more.


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

AJL said:


> Well, I wouldn't go that far:
> 
> From Wikipedia -
> 
> ...



In case it was unclear, I was being sarcastic. Tour de Suisse was a great victory for him. 

Did anyone else win more stage races than Levi did last year?


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