furiousferret

After watching Paris Roubaix yesterday I began to wonder where Hincapie actually stands in the European scene. After watching Versus for years they tout him as one of the great riders of the Classics but he doesn't have the resume to back it; he's touted as the favorite year in and year out but bad luck always seems to be on his side.

So my question is mainly for the Euros on this board...is George Hincapie respected as a top rider there or is this just wishful thinking?

mjdwyer23

Great question -- I had the same thoughts as well!

CyLowe97

He's one of the "great" American riders in the Classics. "Great" in relative terms to the rest of the American pros. Not to the rest of the world.

And it was Versus, so they needed a U.S. story line to yap about to keep viewers enthralled.

roadwarrior

Correct...

Ghent Wevelgem, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, 2nd Paris-Roubaix in 2005...anybody that wins a mountain stage in the Tour de France is good with me regardless of whatever else they've done.

The biggest diasppointment had to be 2001 when he was isolated at P-R against Domo with Museeuw, and Knaven.

furiousferret

Kinda what I thought. As for my opinion I think he's probably one of cycling's dissapointments, had he not had such bad luck, and spent his best years as a support man for LA he may have done better.

I do think he has worst luck in the pro peloton; the only other person I can think of with his quality and lack of luck is Beloki.

JBBOOKS

I like George, but I'm usually disappointed when I root for him. I think he may lack that desperate hunger to win that the truly great ones have.

cyclezealot

Cycling mags say George is a nice guy.. Each Roubaix we root for George. Then the great classics come and he disappears into the woodwork. It used to be , he was Armstrong's second hand rider. Not now.. Still each Roubaix, I root for George. As they say, good guys come in second or maybe sixth.

DiabloScott

Rae Dawn Chong could school him on changing rear wheels also.

DMF 

I missed it Does Versus replay the Cyclysm?

merlinextraligh

2 Classics wins, Second Paris Roubaix (and one of the leading protagnists of that race for a number of years) 3rd Tour of Flanders, Multiple top ten finishes in the Classics. Twice US Pro champion, Stage Winner in the Tour of France, Dauphine Libere, Tour of California, and a number of other multi day races.

Overal winner Tour of Missouri. and 14th on GC in the TDF (when he isn't a Grand tour GC rider)

If your name isn't Armstrong or Lemond,anyone should be so lucky to be such a dissapointment.

Its unfortunate that Hincapie has not won one of the monuments, and addmittedly he is not Tom Boonen, but the only standard by which Hincapie's career could be considered a dissapointment is the grossly unrealistic one set by some of the medai, and uneducated american fans.

Pantani98

I pull for George every year, especially at Paris-Roubaix. He doesn't have the best luck, for sure. I know he's getting older, but I hope he can pull off the one Paris-Roubaix victory he craves. I've been to his wins in Philly and Greenville at the US Pro Champs, flew to San Fran for the Gran Prix, ridden with him in Washington, DC and he truly is one of the nicest guys.

Can anyone change a wheel as fast as Rae Dawn Chong? I mean really!

Laggard

Great riders make their own luck.

He has won one minor-classic and done well in others. I respect anyone who races for as long as he has. That said, I don't think he's every truly lived up to his potential.

It's not really fair to him that Phil and Paul seem to have a permanent hard-on for the guy. Phil in particular seems to about blow a gasket every time George moves to the front of a pack.

redtires

ouch!

Keith99

Depending how one reads what you wrote, Andy Hampsten, could possibly be added to the list. At the least he would not be lucky to have results better than George.

Though it seems he shares one thing with Hincape, being in the shadow on another American rider.

DiabloScott

Lifetime Monument Tally

1. Merckx 19 (all five)
2. De Vlaeminck 11 (all five)
4. Kelly, Coppi 9
6. Van Looy 8 (all five)
7. Bartali 7
8. Museeuw, Argentin, Binda, Moser 6
14. Van Steenbergen, Bettini, Boonen 5
20. Zabel, Raas, Godefroot, Gimondi, Kuiper 4


Leaving off a few obviously, but Boonen could be a top 5 of all time some day.

merlinextraligh

True, and I didn't mean to make a backhanded slap at other accomplished American riders.

Rather that its unreasonable to call Hincapie a dissapointment for not living up to unreasonable expectations.

luxroadie

Hincape is well known and well liked in Europe. Luxembourgers, French, Beligians all know his palmares and respect him because he truely respects the sport. He is genuine - an important factor for European cycling fans.

He may be a perenial bridesmaid when it comes to PR but the images of him covered in dirt year after year are what impress people here.

Cycling is a lifeline for folks here - it is what baseball is to the US. Hincape knows that and therefore he is liked.

adam

Great post.

rufvelo

Hincapie is one of the best Euro pro domestiques America has produced. That's it.

merlinextraligh

Name a domestique that has 2 classics wins, 2 national championships, a Tour de France Stage win, a Dauphine Libere stage win, and a week long tour GC win?

vinofan

Knaven's palmares come close. If being american is a requistite then none.

Keith99

National Championships can be a bit misleading. After all the best 2 cyclists of all time, at least based on total results, only have 1 national championship each.