While Discovery Channel’s George Hincapie continues on his evolution from sprinter to spring classics strongman to Tour de France super-domestique to Tour contender, world champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step-Innergetic) says he has no intention of following in his footsteps.

Responding to a question from VeloNews, Boonen said he won’t try to become a GC contender someday in cycling’s biggest race. The reigning world champion said he’s more than happy where he is right now.

“I have no plans at all to become the next George Hincapie. Let me just do what I do best: riding the classics and sprinting,” Boonen told Belgian journalists in a press conference ahead of the Tour de Suisse. “I’d have to change my body structure, without any clues whether it would be successful or not. I’m a man who takes drastic decisions in the blink of an eye, but I don't think this is one I'd ever take.”

Boonen has a love-hate relationship with the Tour, a race that he said can be overwhelming in terms of stress, media pressure and physical demands, but very rewarding for the victors.

“The Tour is world's greatest misery. I hate it. They start hitting your head the moment you open your eyes and it doesn't stop until you close them at night,” he continued. “But that's the challenge that makes winning there makes so beautiful: there are 197 other riders who want to win, too.”

Concerning his aspirations for the Tour, Boonen said he hopes to grab some early stage wins before thinking about the green jersey or the maillot jaune. Last year, a knee injury prompted his early exit, so he’s hopeful of arriving to Paris to challenge for the final stage on the Champs Élysées.

“The green jersey is the goal, like it was last year. The yellow is an logical consequence if you battle for green and stage wins in the first week. But I don't want to be too focused,” he said. “Last year I learned that the more you get focused on goals in the Tour, you always fail.”

Valverde satisfied at Dauphiné
Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears) expressed satisfaction after finishing seventh overall at the Dauphiné Libéré. The Spanish phenom’ came to the race to make some important tests ahead of the Tour de France.

Although he didn’t win a stage, he was second behind Iban Mayo on the epic climbing stage to La Toussuire and ninth in the 43km time trial. With a hard week of racing in his legs, Valverde said he’s confident looking toward the July 1 start of the Tour.

“My road to the Tour is practically finished in this Dauphiné Libéré. I believe I´m on a good way, so let´s wait to see what happens,” he told El Diario Vasco. “I’ve noticed improvement in the time trial and that’s important for the Tour because there are a lot of time trials. And on the Toussuire, I felt good. In the Tour, this climb will be different because we’ll be in the third week of the race. I leave this race content and I achieved my objectives that I had set.”

Valverde will compete in the Spanish national championships later this month ahead of the Tour.

French cycling federation president slams Sáiz
Jean Pitallier, president of the French cycling federation, slammed Manolo Sáiz in an interview this weekend at the Dauphiné Libéré, insisting that the Spanish director should permanently leave cycling.

“It would be best for cycling if he left the sport forever because he is rake,” Pitallier told AFP. “I would leave the team out of the Tour, with or without Vinokourov. It’s essential if we want support our sport.”

Late last week, Sáiz stepped down temporarily from the team, but retained his ownership in the management company, Active Bay. Sáiz was among five people detained by Spanish authorities last month as part of an investigation into an alleged blood-doping ring.

No charges have been filed against Sáiz or the others implicated in the investigation, but an announcement is expected within the next two weeks from a Spanish judge residing over the case, EFE reported.

The Spanish daily AS also reported that the UCI is scheduled to meet Wednesday on the question of whether or not to extend the ProTour license for the team’s new title sponsor, Astana-Würth.

Kohl encouraged with Dauphiné performance
Bernard Kohl – the young Austrian third overall at the Dauphiné Libéré – said his podium performance provides him with more motivation to keep advancing in the peloton.

“It was like something out of a dream, but also a massive honor to stand beside Leipheimer and Moreau on the podium and to have their congratulations ringing in my ear. I still can't believe it,” Kohl said on T-Mobile´s web page. “The phone is ringing non-stop; everybody wants a word with me, to congratulate me; friends, colleagues, journalists.”

Kohl said he thought a top 10 might be possible after finishing 22nd in the 43km time trial nearly three minutes down on winner Dave Zabriskie, but his optimism grew with each mountain stage.

“The (stages in the Alps) were new and unfamiliar territory to me. My only previous experience of Izoard and Galibier was from following the Tour de France on TV,” he said. “I found the 'queen stage' over the Galibier especially hard. It took me a while to find my rhythm and for a time I feared my good GC placing was slipping away. At first it was just about damage limitation, then I started to feel stronger from kilometer to kilometer, and when I got the news from the team car that I had a realistic chance of moving up to third place, I started to grow wings. I battled every meter of the way and it paid off.”

Kohl will next ride the Austrian national championships and then the Tour of Austria in July, where he wants to go for the victory.