Leipheimer heads to Cascade

Astana riders Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner, denied the chance to compete in the Tour de France when the organisers refused to invite the team will fill in their July calendar in Oregon at the Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic, the race organisation announced Friday. The five day race will take place in and around Bend, Oregon from July 9 to 13.

Leipheimer, who took third in last year's Tour de France and his second consecutive Tour of California title in February is coming off of a successful Giro d'Italia, where he helped team-mate Alberto Contador to victory and finished 19th himself.

The USA race is not only benefitting from the Astana team's exclusion, but will also bring in Tom Danielson, who did not make the Garmin-Chipotle Tour squad. They'll go up against defending Cascade champion Rory Sutherland who will have a full Health Net squad, as well as 2007 winner Phil Zajicek.