SRAM RED-equipped Levi Leipheimer, Lance Armstrong, and Chris Horner took an early and dominant role at the first stage of the ‘SRAM Tour of the Gila’ by placing Horner on the front late in the stage to pull back a dangerous move. The Mellow Johnny’s trio then caught the break mid-way up the final ascent with Lance driving, ultimately unleashing Levi with only a few miles to go. Leipheimer finished somewhere in the range of a minute up, no official times have been released (at time of posting). Levi was hesitant to look for a win so early in the five-stage race, but with Lance’s encouragement and lead-out, took the race by the reigns on stage one.

Mellow Johnny squad of Levi Leipheimer, Lance Armstrong, and Chris Horner
The now black and white kitted Mellow Johnny crew are hard to recognize without their typical Astana kits, but they still look sharp and obviously the color of the jersey doesn’t really matter, these guys still lay it down. The new Mellow Johnny’s jerseys are all black (the pictures show them with white warm-up vests on), they look like cycling’s version of secret agents, and they are definitely on a mission. The determination came early yesterday that the team could race but not in their ProTour Astana garb but, rather, as the aforementioned Mellow Johnny’s, which is Armstrong’s Austin-based bike shop.

Leipheimer with 1km to go

Levi talks to media after the win

All photos by Ben Raby

Thursday’s 80 mile stage will be a brute with lots of vertical, tricky descents, and high winds.

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