Levi Leipheimer makes Levi’s GranFondo's hardest race, the Growler, a race: "I’ve always wanted to make it a race"
Cycling
In 2009, Levi Leipheimer won the Tour of California for the third consecutive year. It was also the year he launched his biggest post-retirement project: the mass participation cycling event Levi’s GranFondo. The event will return for its 15th edition this April and to mark the occasion, Leipheimer is shaking things up a bit.
"I’ve always wanted to make it a race," Leipheimer tells Velo. "I moved to Sonoma County purely because I fell in love with the roads. When I was training there for 22 years, I would dream about big races coming through."
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This year, the 'Growler', always the longest distance on offer at Levi’s GranFondo, will be a proper race, with a cash purse and significant traffic control. The start list is already teeming with professionals from various disciplines including Lachlan Morton, Peta Mullens, Ian Boswell, Sarah Sturm, Peter Stetina, Heather Jackson, and Petr Vakoc.
"A road race like this, on paper, the stats equal a Liège-Bastogne-Liège or a Il Lombardia,¨" he said. "That doesn’t exist in the US. So, we’re doing our part, and I think it’s a big part. Road racing needs a resuscitation."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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As we see a shift in the attention of cyclists in the US, & that producing road races is tough, we've resolved to do our part & pay it back to the sport that inspired it all. @levisgranfondo is now hosting a road race as an integral component to the best day on 2 wheels.
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