Three-time Tour of California champion Levi Leipheimer will lead Team RadioShack in the 2011 Tour of California joined by race animating teammate Chris Horner.

Leipheimer won the nearly 800-mile race from 2007-09.

Race sponsor AEG announced the preliminary start list Wednesday. The eight-stage road race begins Sunday in South Lake Tahoe, California, and ends May 22 in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Defending champion Michael Rogers of Australia won't ride this year because of a virus that caused him to miss training time.

Americans David Zabriskie and Christian Vandevelde will lead Team Garmin-Cervelo. American George Hincapie and 20-year-old rising star Taylor Phinney will ride for Team BMC Racing. Andy Schleck of Luxembourg will lead Team Leopard-Trek, one of 18 teams in the field.