Levi Leipheimer on the Tour de France Radio Ban

Leipheimer talks about stage 10 and not having radios made it a relaxing day.

Levi Leipheimer on the Tour de France Radio Ban Male: Interesting to not really see anyone team at the front and it seem like several teams rotating through and nobody really ever amassed. Did that have anything to do with all the discussion about the radios beforehand or unrelated? Levi Leipheimer: It’s a complicated situation and I think that today wasn’t -- I mean, I guess for the teams it wasn’t really about the radios. I think we wanted to show that the riders make the race and it didn’t really you know, the radios wasn’t really the struggle going on but I got to say, you know it made me think that the radios -- there’s good things and there’s bad things. Today was probably the most relax, enjoyable day I’ve ever had at the Tour de France. I spoke to more people in the group today than ever. And I think that everybody was like a little more relaxed, in a way, that was nice. In another way, you know, radios can help sometimes. So the debate about radios will go on but I think that more importantly, you know, we just wanted to show that the riders and teams can come together on issue and that was important. And the main point is that no matter what, the riders make the race, easy, hard, whatever. Male: It was so -- I mean, in terms of not AG2R, not amassed to the front amassed and that was a part of it then. We’re going to rotate a couple of guys through at the fronts or was that a collective decision? Levi Leipheimer: Not 100% but yeah I think that’s -- you know, like I said the fact that most of the teams could come together and agree on how to handle the situation and you know, it’s not a simple situation. It’s complicated so I don’t know if I'm the expert but that’s just my view. Male: Do you think things will return to normal tomorrow we’ll see AG2R at the front, Astana sitting right behind as we’ve seen in the last few days? Levi Leipheimer: Yeah and ironically it’s going to be more aggressive tomorrow because everybody’s going to have all the information in their ear, right corner here, left corner there, move up here. It’s windy. And so in a way today, the radio has really killed the racing in one way because you know, everybody just sort of -- was relax and you know, there was obviously a plan beforehand but -- yeah, tomorrow, it will be business as usual. Male: Haven't seen how stage put up today. Any predictions on how Friday’s radio free stage might end up? Levi Leipheimer: From what I understand, that’s not going to happen -- to have radios, yeah. Male: Well that sort of the compromise. Levi Leipheimer: That’s the last thing I heard. They could change in the last four or five hours but I'm not sure.