Prologue: Levi wins the prologue 2 years straight

Prologue Results | Video | Press Release

Discovery Channel's Levi Leipheimer won his second consecutive Tour of California Prologue in dramatic fashion today. The time trial, which raced along the Embarcadero and finished atop Telegraph Hill, was nearly won by a previously unknown cyclist.

Slipstream-Chipotle rider Jason Donald, the seventh to start, flew over the course in 4:50.497, and his time was good enough to keep him in first until Leipheimer, the very last rider, edged him with a 4:49.050 dash.

The second rider to start, Ben Jacques-Maynes of Priority Health- Bissel, finished third with a time of 4:54.226.

Conditions on the course may have aided the early riders, as a stiffening headwind began to set in as the afternoon went on. But that makes Jason Donald's incredible climb up Telegraph Hill no less impressive.

Ben Jacques-Maynes didn't expect his time to put him on the podium. Not with dozens of ProTour riders to come. He had actually started to drive back to his home in San Jose when Leipheimer finished.

Levi was the winner today, but Jason Donald clearly stole the show.

"With 50 meters to go I saw 4:48," Donald said. "I knew what Levi's time [4:53] was last year. And I couldn't believe it, that my time would hold up."