Geroge Hincapie

autobahn
autobahn Posts: 114
edited April 2010 in Pro race
Apparently this year at Roubaix, George had no excuse, weather fine, form & fitness fine, spare bikes and backup, the legs apparently just weren't there.
He said before he won Roubaix that if "wins today's Paris-Roubaix it would define his career as being perfect"
Do you think his career has been near perfect?

Comments

  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    No.
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  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    He gets hyped up. He plays the game but it's as much about the media desperate for an English speaking rider as it is about his abilities.

    There was a half-decent summary of this at http://theinnerring.blogspot.com/2010/0 ... media.html

    He's a nice guy, a well-respected in the bunch and can look back on a very good career*. A win in Roubaix has been possible but only as an outsider.

    * assisted by Dr Ferrari etc
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,147
    He's had an excellent career. Sure he lacks a really big win, but not everyone's cut out to be the star.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • dennisn
    dennisn Posts: 10,601
    RichN95 wrote:
    He's had an excellent career. Sure he lacks a really big win, but not everyone's cut out to be the star.

    +1........All I would disagree with is "He's HAD an......". He's still out there, making, I'm sure, real good money and passing on a h*ll of a lot of leadership abilities, racing know how, and skills to younger riders.
  • dougzz
    dougzz Posts: 1,833
    RichN95 wrote:
    He's had an excellent career. Sure he lacks a really big win, but not everyone's cut out to be the star.

    He's followed protocol, kept his mouth shut and been given a few crumbs from Lance's table :)
  • csp
    csp Posts: 777
    Was it last year's TdF Champs Elyées stage where he, in the words of Cavendish "smoked the field" with a broken collarbone?
  • dougzz
    dougzz Posts: 1,833
    Yeah could have been, I guess that would make it the same Tour as where he had the sulk because people went fast (in a race, crazy behaviour) to stop him getting the Yellow Jersey.
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    Always liked the guy, but it was obvious from the 2003 PR, where he was shown up royally by Tommeke that he was not good enough to win the race.

    That said, a great career (as a domestique). I saw him come home to victory at Pla d'Adet and was delighted for him.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Timoid. wrote:

    That said, a great career (as a domestique). I saw him come home to victory at Pla d'Adet and was delighted for him.

    It were one of this forums proudest moments when you called him "The Eagle of Long Island"
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    His palmares are a little lean for a rider who was forever being touted as a contender.

    However, he has won a few races, a stage of the TdF, 3 national championships, worn the maillot jaune, has a trophy wife, a big property development in the US, a good post-racing business and a sh!t load of money.
    Given that as a professional sportsman, his "career" is to ride a bike as best he can in return for the biggest salary he can negotiate, I'd say he's done pretty damn well. There are riders with superior results but a lot less to show for it.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    iainf72 wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:

    That said, a great career (as a domestique). I saw him come home to victory at Pla d'Adet and was delighted for him.

    It were one of this forums proudest moments when you called him "The Eagle of Long Island"

    True, but Kleber has already pointed out the blindingly obvious on how he grew his wings and was trying (for once) to steer clear of a dopage discussion.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    LangerDan wrote:
    His palmares are a little lean for a rider who was forever being touted as a contender.

    However, he has won a few races, a stage of the TdF, 3 national championships, worn the maillot jaune, has a trophy wife, a big property development in the US, a good post-racing business and a sh!t load of money.
    Given that as a professional sportsman, his "career" is to ride a bike as best he can in return for the biggest salary he can negotiate, I'd say he's done pretty damn well. There are riders with superior results but a lot less to show for it.


    He's a likeable guy and an American non-Americans like. Kim Kirchen has a far superior palmares, but have you ever seen him smile? Guess who's going to retire a richer man.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • pedro118118
    pedro118118 Posts: 1,102
    I like him - he is a classy rider and classy personality.

    I don't have him down as the 'Classics' star he's often portrayed as - he's more of a super-domestique and outside bet for stages and one-day semi-classics.
    I think his ship has sailed when it comes to the Monuments.

    His kit and bikes are godawful, though.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,776
    never liked him...hard rider with some successes..

    classic superdomestique
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • Bakunin
    Bakunin Posts: 868
    It always bugged me that he got a pass on those "tough" questions. His nice guy status paid off.

    Yet, he did take seriously the fact that cycling is a team sport.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,533
    Timoid. wrote:
    LangerDan wrote:
    His palmares are a little lean for a rider who was forever being touted as a contender.

    However, he has won a few races, a stage of the TdF, 3 national championships, worn the maillot jaune, has a trophy wife, a big property development in the US, a good post-racing business and a sh!t load of money.
    Given that as a professional sportsman, his "career" is to ride a bike as best he can in return for the biggest salary he can negotiate, I'd say he's done pretty damn well. There are riders with superior results but a lot less to show for it.


    He's a likeable guy and an American non-Americans like. Kim Kirchen has a far superior palmares, but have you ever seen him smile? Guess who's going to retire a richer man.

    Hah! Funny you mention Kirchen. When I saw him at the Tour of Britian I gave him a big cheer, only to be met with a scowel. Never liked him after that.


    Hincape's a 2nd tier Roubaix rider (similar to Hoste in his prime I say).

    He got a big, big-up because he rose to the challenge of being Lance's super-domestique, he's an honourable winner and loser, and he was America's best shot at the only one day race that America cares about; Roubaix.


    Edit: Then again, I want to avoid a twitter attack, so, as a disclaimer - what do I know about!! I don't race professionally!
    _
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    To expand on my earlier flippant answer, I don't know many riders who've had a perfect career. But he has had an impressive one - one of Armstrong's key lieutenants in all his Tour wins plus Bertie's in 2007, he's had the yellow jersey, won a mountain stage in the Tour, wins at G-W and 3 days of De Panne, 4th at P-R, a few US National Champs, and then went to Columbia and reinvented himself as one of Cav's key men at the sharp end of the stage. He was certainly vital in Cav's M-SR win.

    And how many Tours has he ridden? I'm pretty sure he's ridden them all since 1998, don't know about before that. Impressive.
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  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    He is famous because he is American, in Spain he would be one of many.
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  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    gabriel959 wrote:
    He is famous because he is American, in Spain he would be one of many.


    Errrr. If he was from Spain he'd be Johnny T Arrow. Got any other cobblestone kings?
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • gabriel959
    gabriel959 Posts: 4,227
    Juan Antonio Flecha? He is the only one admittedly. :lol:

    In any case there are so many great cyclists in Spain and with people such as Sammy Sanchez, Contador, Valverde, Freire, Joaquim Rodriguez, etc...
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  • warrior4life
    warrior4life Posts: 925
    I think he's a classy guy and a damn good rider, very long career and always done well for himself.
    I think if he hadnt worked for others for so long he could have had a little more glory, a true team player, a good climber, superdomistique, one day rider and grand tour rider..
    I think his career speaks for itself... Call me a fanboy if you like....
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    If he wasn't English-speaking he'd have got a fraction of the plaudits and publicity.

    His win at Plat D'adet is symptomatic of all that is wrong with professional cycling - rouleurs simply don't win mountain stages - or ride off the front of chasing packs either. A pall of suspicion hangs over him and the fact that as a 'prepared' riders he lacked the tactical nous to win is testament to his capabilities. Towing Cippolini to victory in G-W the year after his victory about sums him up.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 21,811
    Monty Dog wrote:
    If he wasn't English-speaking he'd have got a fraction of the plaudits and publicity.

    His win at Plat D'adet is symptomatic of all that is wrong with professional cycling - rouleurs simply don't win mountain stages - or ride off the front of chasing packs either. A pall of suspicion hangs over him and the fact that as a 'prepared' riders he lacked the tactical nous to win is testament to his capabilities. Towing Cippolini to victory in G-W the year after his victory about sums him up.

    +1.
    He must be doing something right around here though, unlike his old boss.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • DaveyL
    DaveyL Posts: 5,167
    Indeed, as Stadtler and Waldorf have pointed out above, that poor clean rider Oscar Pereiro of Phonak was cheated out of a win. Or was it that, even with "preparation", the fact that the Spanish climber towed Hincapie to victory in the stage sums up Pereiro and *his* tactical nous?
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