StalkerZERO

So he doesn't have the yellow currently. And he doesn't seem interested in the green jersey or any of the sprint finishes. But hes still number 3 under the yellow jersey leader.
So, Hincapie is obviously still playing it cool. But what I want to know is when is he finally gonna make a move?

Ceya

It is only stage 5. Not stage 10.

The mountains are coming up and he is sitting in the right spot.

He is avoiding all the kaos that is happening. He will make his move and the team will be there to provide full support.

S/F<
CEYA!
Strength and Honor!!

Laggard

He'll make his move when he's told that disco is putting their GC bucks on Popovych.

aham23

He will make a move when it is time to make a move. GC contenders rarely make moves in the first week of the tour. Stage 7 will be the start with the ITT. If he fares well and remains high in GC the "moves" will start to come. Later.

godspiral

Do you think the yellow jersey holder after the stage 7 TT will be at a disadvantage for winning the tour? (because team will have to work to defend it on flats)?

CyLowe97

Any GC contender is willing to lose the Yellow Jersey before the flat stages, as long as it's not lost to another GC contender. They'll get it back in the mountains most likely.

The first week's for the sprinters. Hincapie just cherry-picked the yellow for a day in a very crafty way on Stage 1. He knew it wouldn't stay on his back with Boonen, Hushovd, McEwen, and other sprinters able to get up to 20 second bonuses at the finish of those stages. George is not getting caught up in that whirlwind, nor are any other GC contenders.

merlinextraligh

unless, Hincapie puts in a stellar TT, I don't think he's going to be a GC contender, or supported by Discovery for GC. He's likely to be working for Savoldelli, Popovych or Azevedo. The fact that he was contesting time bonuses to get the Yellow jersey for a day, tells you, he's not planning on wearing it in Paris.

Jose R

I still can't believe Hincapie and the term "GC contender" are used in the same sentence.

lotek 

Believe it. . .
it's going to be either him or Popovich unless something untoward happens.
There are alot of people who think George can do this (and not just internet pundits),

I do think he can hang in the ITT.
and get paced up the mountains.
watch for a podium place come the Champs.
marty

CyLowe97

You don't think Hincapie is one of Disco's best TT'ers? Here's where the boys finished in last years 55km TT in Etienne behind the winning time of Armstrong:

8 George Hincapie (USA) Discovery Channel 2.25
11 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Discovery Channel 3.09
51 Jose Azevedo (Por) Discovery Channel 6.25
56 Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel 6.48


I'm not saying George is definitively the Discovery leader, but he sure seems to be putting out the leadership vibe so far.

As for being in Yellow for a day.... he saw a fairly easy way to snatch the jersey without expending much of his own or any of his team's energy, and he capitalized on it. Realistically, he could have just as easily lost it back if Thor doesn't knock the camera and then get sliced by the PMU hand at the bunch sprint in Strasbourg.

merlinextraligh

Podium, possible, but he has to come out of the first ITT as clearly Disco's best option to even have a chance. Win, I'd put heavy money on the field against a Hincapie win.

CyLowe97

BTW, I have it in mind that George will hang with the leaders in the mountains, but doesn't have the gas to make a definite attack on the rivals. Instead, he will drift along to a top 10 finish quite like Landis and Leipheimer did last year.

If a Disco rider makes a bold move in the mountains, it'll be Popo or Azevedo, but only if there is no teammate above them on GC that they need to protect.

reef58

I think I would bet the field against any of the riders in this year's tour.

I think George will do well in the time trial. I think he can hang in the mountains. I am not so sure he can attack in the mountains and gain an advantage. I think his body has grown accustom to tempo riding.

It should be fun to watch.

Richard

FixdGearHead

According to a quote posted as part of the race minutes on Eurosport.com, would appear as though Johan is beginning to slim down the list of potential leaders to George and Ace:

"George is definitely one of our top guys. He can finish high overall. He is the best of our riders in the time trials so I think he is going to be our top guy after the time trial in Rennes (on Saturday). Popovych is excellent but he is not experienced. We do not want to put too much pressure on him. As for Savoldelli, he is not too bad in the time trials but the Tour de France is not the same thing as the Giro. Azevedo is a very good climber."

leadbutt

I would have to narrow it down to George and Azevedo, too. Much like Floyd Landis, both of them have laid back ever since stage 1. Alot of credit was given to George for the sprint the other day, but that was definitely a Johan Bruyneel move. One, it gives a big boost to the team morale and two, it sends the message to the rest of the field.

Someone stated earlier that you won't see anything happen til Saturday in the TT, and I agree. Saturday will be exciting to say the least! The first rides into the mountains are going to be interesting. I think those climbs will reveal Bruyneel's plans as well as Landis', Leipheimer's and whatever Bjarne Riis' is going to do (if anything??).

Ceya

Jose R,

I remember him racing against pros with his brother Rich,the Lorhner bros,Silveria, and Issendorf . They were Jrs and kicking butt. Georgie was a talent waiting to blossom. He earned his way to his level.

Watching Mike McCarthy,Leonard Harvery Nitz and the other guys in NYC at that time was good racing.

S/F,
CEYA!
Strength and Honor!!

SoonerBent

As CyLowe97 pointed out Hincapie is one of, if not the best TT rider that Disco has. For that matter his placings in TTs the last few years put him toward the top of the TTers in the Tour.

And he hung in the mountains very well the past couple of years. We don't know whether or not he can attack in the mountains because he has always been riding for Lance. Maybe his stage win last year was just a taste of what he can do when given the green light.

SB

zeratul

Bruyneel is not committing publically to a protected rider because he wants to take the pressure off. If Popo or Savoldeli/azevado put together a respectable TT finish and have legs in the mountains it will become a huge psychological boost. If you don't think George has the stuff, compare him to the competition--Landis, Leipheimer, Evans, Mayo, Kloeden, Jullich.....he is probably more well rounded than any of them. If his weakness in this tour is attacking on the climbs, look at his support--that entire team can climb, slowing down attacks and keeping his legs as "fresh" as possible. Last year he showed that even when leading out Lance he had the strength to pull out a convincing stage win--and he clearly showed a will to slow down for Lance until Bruyneel gave him the go ahead. The Dauphine-Libere set up Landis, Leipheimer, and Hincapie as three riders with the TT (a huge component of this tour) and climbing legs to finish on the podium. Landis and Hincapie were very content to test thier legs in the TT and use the mountains as a pre-tour fitness exercise.

Picking hincapie to win seems like a far shot, but look at the recent race departures--we may see 4 disco riders in the top 10 (unlikely but possible). I think landis will win, his form in the tour de georgia climbs and recent TT form are impressive considering the lack of pre-race favorites he has as good a shot as any. Plus, phonak is now entirely focused on protecting floyd.

-VELOCITY-

I think Hincapie is one of the most experienced and wisest of all the riders out there. I have no doubt that where he is right now is where he has to be strategically. I think Discovery Team is the most tactical team on Le Tour. I wan't Big George to win, and I also think he has a very strong chance of doing it. That being said if he doesn't win it, I'll be rooting for Landis.

RacerX

Exactly! LOL

Hincrapie is a pretender, he will be carrying bidons for Popovich. There are 3 riders w/ more class as a GC rider than Hincrapie on that team. Popo, Savodelli & Azevedo

Laggard

Hello Racer X!

feltdude

I'll enjoy RacerX eating his words when Hincapie places above all the other Disco riders.

StalkerZERO

I think the only thing stopping Hincapie from taking the tour is.......Hincapie. I believe he has the ability. But does he WANT to win the tour? If you ask him if he wants to win the tour he'll probably say "sure". But I mean does he REALLY WANT to win? Does he have the killer instinct?

I get annoyed at him sometimes cause I know hes great and better than alot of riders out there but sometimes it seems like hes......timid? I don't know perhaps thats out of line.
All I know is Hincapie can definately win this.....if he chooses to. :|

Smoothie104

Hincapie and TdF GC Contendor is crazy sounding, and as much as I love George, he is not reffered to by some as "george the follower" without reason.

Will he attack, doubtful.

Will any of the Discovery riders attack in the mtns? Or Will all the favorites mark each other and simply wait for attrition to take its course?

If Disco has guys near the top in GC, JB can send them up to road to force the other favorites to chase, how effective that is will be determined by the strength of those chosen to go up the road, and how seriously they are taken as an overall threat by the others.


It will be interesting for sure, my Guess is GH will be the highest placed GC rider for Disco after the TT, and a few years ago, he rode at the front for the whole Galibier and whittled the field down to a dozen or so. But to produce efforts like that day after day, I just don't know...


It Will be interesting thats for sure.

Last years overall:

1. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel
2. Ivan Basso (I), CSC, 04:40
3. Jan Ullrich (G), T-Mobile, 06:21
4. Francisco Mancebo (Sp), Illes Balears, 09:59
5. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile, 11:01
6. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner, 11:21
7. Mickael Rasmussen (Dk), Rabobank, 11:33
8. Cadel Evans (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto, 11:55
9. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, 12:44
10. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Sp), Phonak, 16:04
11. Christophe Moreau (F), Credit Agricole, 16:26
12. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr), Discovery Channel, 19:02
13. Eddy Mazzoleni (I), Lampre, 21:06
14. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel, 23:40

Consider that the top 5 are out this year, George was 12 minutes behind Levi, and 11 minutes behind Floyd. We can assume Levi and Floyd were really trying, we can also assume George was not giving it 100% on every mountain stage, but then again, neither was popovych. And there are others who will be in the mix that are not on the above list.

I think disco will wait and follow and see who is on form before they truely decide, they may already know, but we will all know soon.

Louman

Don't discount big George and don't judge him by last year's performance. Supporting riders are often asked to sacrifice and hold back to save their legs to pull hard on another stage. Bruyneel was known to get angry at Landis for overexerting himself on a climb when he was tasked to work hard on the next day's stage. George is a "velvet hammer" soft spoken but don't think he doesn't have the stuff to put the hammer down when it's time. If he loses, it's because he was beaten, not because he didn't really want it and wasn't willing to work for it. I saw him speak after last year's TDF. When asked who would be this years leader, he said it was his and he had the support of the other team riders. Bruyneel is keeping his options open but in George's mind, he is the man. We'll see what he's got in the mountains, I'm looking forward to a good race!