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A conversation with George Hincapie
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He’s getting closer.
Discovery’s George Hincapie has always ridden well in the classics. Wins at Ghent-Wevelgem, Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and consistently strong performances in the “Queen of the Classics,” Paris-Roubaix, underscore the fact that the man from New York is well-suited to riding on rough and slippery roads in northern Europe in the spring. Nonetheless, it’s that top spot at Roubaix and its hefty cobblestone trophy that have eluded Hincapie since he first rode the Hell of the North in 1995.
This year, he got closer than ever, finishing in the velodrome at Roubaix right behind the wheel of his former U.S. Postal teammate, Tom Boonen. Hincapie’s performance matches that of Canadian Steve Bauer’s 1990 finish as the best-ever by North Americans in what is often regarded as the toughest single-day sporting event in the world.
With a day of down time and a bit of reflection behind him, Hincapie spoke with another former Postie, Jonathan Vaughters – a friend and rival since both men were 14 - about this year’s race and his chances for grabbing that elusive prize in years to come.
Jonathan Vaughters: You and Tom Boonen are pretty close friends. He's even said that you were a mentor to him in his early days. Is it hard watching him achieve goals that you've been after these many years?
George Hincapie: I wouldn’t say Tom and I are close friends. I do like him as a person, and I have a lot of respect for him. On the bike we chat often, but aside from that, we never really get a chance to talk.
He has had an amazing career so far, and he’s sure won a lot of races that I would love to win. I am still chasing my dream, and his victories do not come into my vision. JV: At 31, you are still young for a northern classics rider. Do you think that despite the new generation coming up, you'll be able to follow in the footsteps of Andrea Tafi or Gilbert Duclos LaSalle and win Flanders or Roubaix in your mid-30s?
GH: I would love to follow in their footsteps, and win one of those. There is still time. Still, I tell myself before the races that if I don’t win, that's it, I am going to focus on something else next year. Then I finish the race, and I tell myself I am coming back next year, and I am going to try again. These races are so epic and addicting, they keep you coming back for more. JV: It seems people criticize you for lacking a "killer instinct," but is that really the case? The classics have as much to do with team strength and luck as they do with individual strength or that killer instinct. Personally, I've always thought your instincts were spot on, as demonstrated at K-B-K this year. Do you think that your attitude has anything at all to do with your not having won a major classic yet? GH: This year in Paris-Roubaix, I had no friends, except for my teammates. If someone was in my way, I was going to get them out of my way.
I had tunnel vision the whole way to Roubaix, and I thought I rode a perfect race, and in my mind I was going to win. I had a vision of the race in my head the whole winter and it went pretty much the way I had envisioned it… except for the final 150 meters. Boonen was just too strong.
It is just a matter of time until I win a big one. When I stop believing that, it’ll be time for me to stop.
JV: Your approach to racing and training, although still really focused, seems a bit more relaxed this year. Is this helping you? Why are you less tense? The new daughter? Being married? GH: I think it a combo’ of all the above. I am also more experienced, and I know my own body more. I push my body as hard as I think is necessary in training, but if I go beyond that, I now know when to back off.
There is enough opportunity to push yourself beyond the limit in races, so in training I always stay below that. I now know that if I am healthy and have trained well, I will be in the front. JV: How was the off-season with a newborn in the house? GH: It was great. Normally, I travel a bunch in the off-season. This winter was, believe it or not, much, much more relaxed. I stayed at home with Julia and Melanie, and I was able to train well. Although we had to wake up more at night, the off-season was all about training and spending time with my new family and my friends. JV: You have one more chance at knocking out a major one-day this spring, with the Amstel Gold race coming up on Sunday. Does this race suit you more now than it did a few years ago? GH: Amstel is a race that should suit me, but right now I am pretty dead from the last two weeks. Doing all those races up in Belgium is really hard mentally and physically. When you’re done with Flanders and Roubaix, you feel like you have just done the entire Tour de France. I am still going to try my best and, hopefully, I will be recovered by then. Who knows? Maybe I can rally for the day. JV: You take a pretty good break after Amstel, right? Any plans for Tour de Georgia, since it's in your backyard? Or you just going to come and watch? GH: There is still a small chance that I will be there. To race at home is always special, and I think Johan (Bruyneel) is considering it. I think Lance wants me there, and it would be great to race with him so close to home. Johan will decide, but he is really just looking out for me and for my best interests. It’s been a tough spring, and he wants me to recover and get ready for the Tour de France. My vote is to go, but we will see. JV: Who's going to win Tour de Georgia?
GH: That's a tough one. I hope Lance will, but he is there to get ready for the Tour, so who knows? Bobby (Julich) is riding great this year and I am about to go riding with Levi, so I will see how strong he is. I’m kidding.
JV: Is Lance going to win No. 7? Why? GH: Lance has won six, and we are going to try and win a seventh. Either way, it has been the best ride I could have ever imagined.
JV: Tyler Farrar is an up-and-coming rider that reminds me a lot of you at that age (21). He’s a sprinter, but he's also very strong over 200 kilometers and time trials well, too.
He's won a number of large European events, including a stage at the Tour de L'Avenir. What wisdom would you impart to him, as an American trying to make his mark on the world of European classics? For his career in general? GH: Get on a good team, that will look out for you, and prepare you for the future. Och’ (former Motorola manager Jim Ochowicz) did that for me and it has helped so much. JV: You are the only guy who finishes at the top in the classics, but could still knock out a top-10 on GC in the Tour de France if you were riding for yourself. How have you managed to become such a climber, while keeping your punch for the early year? GH: On our team if you cannot climb well, you don't go to the Tour. I have done a lot of work in the mountains to try and be as good as I can on the climbs. My training consists of a lot of intervals on climbs even before the classics, so I am basically working on my climbing all year.
JV: When it's all done, how do you want people to remember you?
GH: Mmmm… He was a cool guy! Yeah, that's it.
