Levi Leipheimer rejoins former Discovery Channel team colleagues at Astana

Full story: via YAHOO! SPORTS

By RACHEL COHEN, AP Sports Writer
October 23, 2007

American cyclist Levi Leipheimer will join Astana, reuniting with former colleagues Johan Bruyneel and Alberto Contador from the now-defunct Discovery Channel team.

Leipheimer, who finished third in the 2007 Tour de France, said Tuesday that the decision was an easy one. Bruyneel, the new Astana general manager, was Discovery's team director. Leipheimer and Contador, the reigning Tour champ, were teammates.

"It's what I'm comfortable with," Leipheimer said. "It's what I'm used to. If it's not broken, don't fix it."

After Discovery Channel chose to discontinue its sponsorship, the team was unable to find another sponsor.

"It looked like everyone was going to go their separate ways," Leipheimer said. "It was a big disappointment. In the end, to be able to keep working together, we're all very lucky and fortunate."

The team sponsored by Astana withdrew from this year's Tour de France and wasn't invited to the Spanish Vuelta after a string of doping scandals. Leipheimer said that didn't concern him because the team's makeup is completely different; only the name remains the same.

Leipheimer, who turns 34 on Wednesday, said he feels for the first time that he will be a favorite going into the Tour in 2008. He'll share that spotlight with Contador.

"We both feel we have a great chance to win," Leipheimer said. "We work well together."

Updated on Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 5:37 pm, EDT