ARMSTRONG CHEERS LEIPHEIMER FROM TEAM CAR

Lance Armstrong cheered Levi Leipheimer from the front seat of the Discovery Channel team car during the third stage to San Jose on Wednesday.

The seven-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor kept a low profile but shared the excitement of the hilliest road stage of the race and celebrated Leipheimer keeping the yellow jersey.

After the race Cycling Weekly caught up with him before he climbed onto the team bus to congratulate Jason McCartney for his decisive hard work. He praised his former team mates but admitted he feels unfit now he is no longer racing. However he was confident that the team will quickly find a new sponsor to replace Discovery Channel.

?It was a hard stage for the team because they rode all day but Jason and Levi were awesome,? he said.

?Johan predicted that they could get Jason up the road and then Levi could go across and it worked out. Jason?s such a fighter. He worked hard at training camp but then couldn?t ride at home Iowa because of the bad weather, so he skied and rode inside, and he came here and gave it everything. That?s impressive.?

?I?m feeling good but I?m too busy to be on the race on a daily basis. I like it that I can come and go when I please and Johan still gives me a place in the car. I?ve been riding a bit but I think I?m not in shape.?

?I haven?t been working closely on finding a new sponsor because it?s not really my department but Bill (Stapleton) and Bart (Knaggs) have been busy. I think there?s been some good interest. Of course you don?t find a sponsor a street corner but you have to be confident. I think we?ll have success here and in other big races such as the Tour, so I think we can expect to find somebody, I hope so.?