Levi Leipheimer (born October 24, 1973) is an American former professional road racing cyclist. He was twice US national champion, winning the time trial title in 1999 and the road race in 2007, and is an Olympic medalist. Leipheimer was born and raised in Butte, Montana and resides in Santa Rosa, California with his Canadian wife Odessa Gunn. He promotes the widely-attended King Ridge granfondo, a mass participation ride in Sonoma County.
Leipheimer's major career accomplishments include winning the 2007, 2008 and 2009 editions of the Tour of California, the 2011 Tour de Suisse and the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge. His Grand Tour results include 2nd in the 2008 Vuelta a España, 3rd in the 2001 Vuelta a España, 5th in the 2009 Giro d'Italia and four top-10 finishes in the Tour de France, including 3rd overall in 2007. Leipheimer won the bronze medal in the time trial at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced in October 2012 that Leipheimer would be suspended for his involvement in doping while riding for Saturn, U.S. Postal Service, Rabobank, Gerolsteiner and Astana. Leipheimer incriminated his former teammate Lance Armstrong and then accepted a 6-month ban from September 1, 2012 to March 1, 2013 and was stripped of all race results from June 1, 1999 to July 30, 2006, and July 7 to July 29, 2007. Leipheimer committed a previous doping violation in 1996.
In May 2013, Leipheimer confirmed his involuntary retirement from professional cycling. His contract with Omega Pharma-Quickstep was terminated in 2012 after he admitted to blood doping, and he could not find a new team.
Leipheimer is married to Canadian professional cyclist Odessa Gunn, whom he met at a World Cup event in Philadelphia in 1997.
He has supported the charity PETA in an advertising campaign
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