George Hincapie
3x American Champion - Road Race Gent- Wevelgem 1x Tour de France 3x stages Dauphine Libere
George Anthony Hincapié Garcés ( born June 29, 1973 in Queens, New York City ) is a professional road racing cyclist since 1994.
Career
George Hincapie is the only cyclist who has participated in all seven Tour victories by Lance Armstrong, where he usually took the role of the noble helper. During this time he could even celebrate their successes, such as the victory at Gent- Wevelgem (2001) or about GP Ouest France ( 2005). George Hincapie is not one of the cyclists who specialize in only classic. Since he is also a very good time trialist and even can provide on the mountain for surprises, he is also regularly found in Tours in the upper middle.
The most important race of the year for him is the classic Paris -Roubaix, which he never could win. ( George Hincapie on the classic Paris - Roubaix. " This is the one race did I dream of all year long, and look forward to all year long " ) His best finish was a second place in 2005, where he joined in the sprint Tom Boonen had to admit defeat.
In 2006, he was his goal, to win Paris-Roubaix, as close as ever because 46 kilometers from the finish he was in a small leading group with cyclists like Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara and Bernhard Eisel clearly outside the main field. In contrast to its competitors, since he had two assistants at his side, spoke almost everything for George, however broke the fork shaft of his racing bike and he fell so hard that he had to abandon the race due to a shoulder injury.
From 2008 he drove for the team High Road, which has been renamed in June 2008 in Team Columbia. Since the 2010 season, he joined the BMC Racing Team. His contract runs until the end of the 2012 season, after which he wants to end his career. On October 10, 2012 Hincapie admitted to have doped during his career up to 2006.
Tour de France
George Hincapie was at the Tour de France, mostly as a precious helper of his team captains; led by Lance Armstrong. Hincapie was the only rider who stood for all seven Tour successes of the Texan at his side. He also presented his own ambitions at the Tour back always. He could win with the U.S. Postal and Discovery Channel team three times the team time trial of the Tour de France. In Armstrong's last Tour victory in 2005 Hincapie also managed a stage victory on the queen stage of the tour in the Pyrenees. In addition, he reached in the overall standings of the Tour, despite his helper services a significant 14th.
On the basis of these results at the 2005 Tour de France as well as strong performances at preparatory race Dauphiné Libéré he was sent to Armstrong's resignation next to Jose Azevedo, Yaroslav Popovych and Savoldelli Paolo regarded as one of the possible captains of his team for the tour. In the prologue of the 2006 Tour Hincapie took second place behind the stage winner Thor Hushovd. During the subsequent first stage he conquered due to a time credit the yellow jersey, which he therefore wore during the second stage. In the overall standings, however Hincapie could not fulfill as well as the rest of his team 's expectations and ended the tour on a rather disappointing 32nd place overall.
The following year, Hincapie put in the jersey of the American road champion once more in the service of his captains Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer who finished No. 1 and 3 in the standings, and won with his team the team standings of the Tour itself.
In the 2008 Tour de France he slipped again in the role of the noble helper, this time from Kim Kirchen.
The 2009 Tour de France Hincapie finished on the 19th place. After long Hincapie was at the 30th place, he caught on the 14th stage, a breakaway group that came through to the finish. He slipped over a longer time in the virtual yellow jersey. At the end of George missed the yellow jersey by just five seconds and moved by this stage in second overall before. He was in a good position to retract his best Tour result, but he was passed through the narrow gaps pretty quickly back to the 26th place. However, George Hincapie could work your way through the time trial and the last mountain stages again on the 19th place, which is his second-best tour result.
Achievements
- Two stages of Tour de Luxembourg
- A stage Catalan Week
- A stage Catalan Week
- United States American Champion - Road Race
- GP San Francisco
- Gent- Wevelgem
- Three Days of De Panne
- Kuurne -Brussels- Kuurne
- GP Ouest France
- Two stages Dauphiné Libéré
- A stage and team time trial Tour de France
- United States American Champion - Road Race
- Two stages of Tour of California
- A stage and General Classification Tour of Missouri
- A stage in Tour of California
- A stage of Dauphiné Libéré
- United States American Champion - Road Race
- A stage of USA Pro Cycling Challenge