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Astana's Levi Leipheimer glided up the finishing climb to victory at the Sea Otter Classic road race Friday

<img border="0" align="right" src=http://www.velonews.com/files/images/9O5B7080.jpg>Leipheimer came for training and left with a win

... finishing just ahead of the three Bissell men with whom he was in a long breakaway.

Leipheimer's Santa Rosa training buddy, Paul Mach, took second with his Bissell teammate Morgan Schmitt rounding out the podium. Ben Jacques-Maynes, the fourth man in the break, came in just behind.

"This is home for me," Leipheimer said. "I came up through the ranks doing these local races and I appreciate them. And I wanted to keep a light spring training schedule. So, this is what I call free training – to get out there and battle with these guys. And it was tough."

Bissell threw its numbers at Leipheimer, putting a number of riders into early moves.

"We had a pretty good day in the breakaways," said Mach. "We were trying to send as many guys up the road as possible to try and tire him out."

...VeloNews