Hincapie
April 3rd, 2006 |
Hincrapie
E Fresh points out this quote from George Hincapie after last Sunday’s Tour of Flanders:
I was in a situation where I couldn’t do much. The team was second and third so we have to be happy with that. But I had really good legs today and maybe I could’ve done a little better. Hoste surprised me a little with his jump on the Valkenberg. But that’s ok, I’m happy for Leif. He‘s a really good teammate and he always works hard for the team. We wanted to win today but I’m happy with him getting second. I had super good legs but I’m a team player and once a team mate is in the road I just sit back.
Well, god damn! Surprised by a little jump on the Valkenberg! Who would have guessed that you could almost win a race by showing a little aggression and trying to take matters into your own hands? Hincapie obviously will never figure this out.
This guy is so over rated that it makes me weep for all those riders who never get noticed because “big†George accidentally fumbles his way on to a podium despite himself.
I guarantee that Hincapie will not win Paris-Roubaix.
9 Responses to “Hincapie”
i concur on everything you say and will even add that Hincapie won’t crack the top8.
I think he’s a talented rider, but come on – making like you were jobbed by your teammate that took the initiative to launch an attack? However, if you want even weaker, look no further than “Ale Jet”:
“I abandoned after the Eikenberg after 200 kilometres,” he told Radsportnews. “I didn’t have a bad feeling on the cobbles, but on the Koppenberg I had to get off the bike. I saw how, 200 metres in front of me, Zabel and Hushovd left to get back to the front. I tried to join them, but in the end it just wasn’t possible – also in my head.”
Translation:
“Without my leadout train delivering me to the last 500m, it wasn’t possible”
But what happened to cycling being a team sport? Didnt Discovery have a team strategy and leader? If Hincapie was surprised its probably because he knew he wasn’t in a Cat 4/5 race and there was supposed to be strategy involved for the team. Over rated is hardly a way to describe Hincapie.
How about overestimated? or over-exaggerated? or ballyhood? or feeble, or weak? They all fit! Hincapie is a strong rider with talent, but mush for racing tactics, courage and heart. He will never win a major race, if he had Captain America’s other testicle he would’ve won last weekend. You think if Captain America was in that situation, when Hoste attacked he would’ve sat there? Hell no, he would’ve went with him! Then he would’ve counter-attacked on the Muur, and won the #$%% race! Hincapie is a domestique and that is it! grrrr…
Sadly I have to agree… I actually kinda like George but I think he spent too many years under LA’s shadow as a loyal domestique. The upside, he’s a good domestique… but that means he’s never spent the time trying to be something more. (and on a side note this easily turns into a larger critique for how Postal/Disco is run vs. a team like CSC with a more ‘group’ focus.)
Yes he loves the spring races, but for the last seven years he has had to be ready to help LA… So I’ll be pleasantly surprised if he does well at Paris-Roubaix, but I don’t expect he will.
In some ways I’m more impressed with George’s brother who helped to start up the sports apparel brand… with an eye towards getting off the ground early so it will be there to support George when he retires. Don’t know how well they will succeed but you rarely see long term planning like that.
If Hoste and Hincapie’s places were switched, could George have beaten Boonen in the sprint? My guess is no. And I don’t think Hoste would have won the field sprint either.
In my view, it’s just the same as the Milan San-Remo. The team leader policed the field while a lieutenant took off in a winning break. The difference is that Hoste wasn’t going to beat T-Bone.
That said, I know very little about team tactics. But from a novice’s perspective, it seems like a pretty good day for disco.
I have to agree. I’ve long been a fan of Gorgeous George, and he clearly has the physical talent to win. But spring after spring it is apparent that he doesn’t have the tactical sense to find himself out of a paper bag, much less win one of the monuments of cycling.
More broadly, this debacle raises some serious questions about Discovery, which seems to be a team of super talented racers with no apparent identity. Johan Bruyneel seems like quite a smart guy, so hopefully he’ll figure it out, but Captain America casts a long, empty shadow over this team.
I agree, but I think he can take it. He could have had it last year.
Here’s my comment