New word: Hincapied

Utah CragHopper · 07-17-2005

It's when you suck wheels the whole day then outsprint the guys who did all the work. It has a nice sound to it, like the cycling version of being knee capped.

Actually, I am very happy George got a chance to finally ride for himself. He made the most of it and it could not have happened to a nicer guy.

What I am really waiting for is for the guys who have been holding a grudge for the last two years against the Euskatel-Eskadi guys for outsprinting Ullrich on Luz Ardiden to come forward and start bad mouthing Hincapie.

buffedupboy · 07-17-2005

I personally love George. I mean like really love, like have his picture on the wall with like a shrine built around it. Like setting up a website dedicated solely for him.... well, not quite, but I do respect the guy. Worked so many years for the man, not one word out of him, not one. I wish I had half a friend like him.

I watched the stage, George hit the front for something like 5 seconds the whole race. Would I feel sore if I was the one who got outsprinted by someone who didn't do a damn thing? Sure. But having said that, if I was George, would I have done the same thing? Of course. First off, George is not a pure climber, when you are racing and you are up in a break in a TDF mountain stage, and you are probably one of the only non pure climbers in the break, what would you do?

giovanni sartori · 07-17-2005

That's tactical cycling. Its the exact same thing Boogerd did in 99 to win Amstel over LA; however, the situation was different - it was a one day race and I think that showed little class. George has also been on the receiving end of team tactics, if you can remember Domo with three guys in P-R in 2000 or 2001.

Fact is they mis-calculated George, they let him in the break knowing he wouldn't do any work thinking he would get dropped or fall back to Lance. That was their risk and they lost. Phonak screwed up again by leading out George for the sprint. He could have at least tried to get on George's wheel for the sprint.

Its not even remotely close to Mayo and Zubeldia in 2003 going around Ullrich.

Keep up the hate.

Old_school_nik · 07-17-2005

George all the way to the line. They know the rules and why he was in the break. His boss is in Yellow. They should have dropped him (or tried to drop him) on one of the 10% sections.

Bravo George!!!!

-Nik

Live Steam · 07-17-2005

Boogerd tried it again today. He had two guys from Rabobank in the break, sat in, and was still extruded out the back. George not only looked strong enough to win, he deserved to win. He road a good race and could easily have not had the gas to win it. He said he road this course a few weeks prior to the Tour and bonked. He corrected it this time. Good for him!

CarbonJoe · 07-17-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Utah CragHopper

It's when you suck wheels the whole day then outsprint the guys who did all the work. It has a nice sound to it, like the cycling version of being knee capped.

Why is it only OK for sprinters to wheel-suck? Seems to me that most of the big name sprinters don't spend very much time sticking their noses into the wind. So on flat stages it's OK to wheel-suck, but not on mountain stages?

tkavan01 · 07-17-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by CarbonJoe

Why is it only OK for sprinters to wheel-suck? Seems to me that most of the big name sprinters don't spend very much time sticking their noses into the wind. So on flat stages it's OK to wheel-suck, but not on mountain stages?

ding ding we have a winner

carlos · 07-17-2005

it was the ugliest win i have ever seen on a long, long time. but he won, and thats whats count on today cycling, you have to win, doesnt matter how.

izibo · 07-17-2005

Actually, this makes no sense. There really is nothing to gain 'wheel-sucking' while climbing a mountain. This is completely different to the major different on a flat stage.

I do understand George didn't work while they were on flats, but that was due to team orders. Once it became clear that the break was going to survive, it didn't even matter.

verve825 · 07-17-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by izibo

Actually, this makes no sense. There really is nothing to gain 'wheel-sucking' while climbing a mountain.

Nothing physical, sure- but psychologically? Absolutely: you've got your opponent in view the whole time, you don't have to worry about setting the pace, all you have to do is put your front hub at his back hub- way easier.

Stinky Hippie · 07-17-2005

...was 2nd and 3rd on the stage -- Mayo was hardly a GC threat. Whereas Jan really could have used that 2nd place time bonus . I also don't recall any kind of sprint from them -- just a little last second push over the line. George made it an honest sprint - not some last second punk move at the line. Pereiro (or however you spell it) had many chances to drop back and make George work or he could have tried to drop him altogether. He did neither.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Utah CragHopper

It's when you suck wheels the whole day then outsprint the guys who did all the work. It has a nice sound to it, like the cycling version of being knee capped.

Actually, I am very happy George got a chance to finally ride for himself. He made the most of it and it could not have happened to a nicer guy.

What I am really waiting for is for the guys who have been holding a grudge for the last two years against the Euskatel-Eskadi guys for outsprinting Ullrich on Luz Ardiden to come forward and start bad mouthing Hincapie.

Rouleur · 07-17-2005

I understand Pereiro's disappointment in losing the stage, but in theory George shoulda been dropped long before the final few meters. Regardless of how little work he did; seems to me that a Classics Rouleur should have no business surviving over 6 cols with the likes of Caucchioli, Boogard and Pereiro. If the "CLIMBERS" really wanted to win, they should not have waited for a sprint finish.

The only way he was going to win was to drop George on the last climb. Just shows how strong George is, and how much of an all-rounder he has become. Really no surprise. GH's pacemaking has been dropping many so-called climbers for a few tours now.

RodeRash · 07-17-2005

Probably while you were in the kitchen getting another beer . . . No riders in cycling expect a team-mate of the leader wearing the Mailliot Jaune to contribute anything whatever to a break.

Hincapie's strategy was to wait for Lance to catch the break. Even inside 1,000 metres you see Hincapie looking back to see who's behind him and if Lance is catching up.

ivanthetrble · 07-17-2005

Looked it up in the dictionary:

hincapied: verb - doing exactly what he is supposed to do.

George was in the break group, what is supposed to do? Help them put time on his team leader by taking a strong pull at the front? That makes no sense at all. He was doing what the bonzos at TMob can't seem to do and that is be a team player. As was mentioned before he probably gained very little if any advantage while climbing.

CARBON110 · 07-17-2005

It's a f#ckn bike race or have you forgot? Win, Win, Win if you can. George played it perfectly and owned those guys nothing.

I was in a race last year where 4 guys took off in a break for the last 3 miles. 3 of those guys were on the same team and the fourth guy was alone and refused to work but won the race. The guys went bullsh!t at him and I saw the end of the race as I was back a few hundred yards. Its racing guys, the point is to win in that situation there isn't any room for pleasantries. You only work hard enough to stay away but never exhaust yourself out of obligation to some other guy on another team because he was foolish enough to do so for you

Now when Axel got dropped last year by the f#ck Virenque was totally different. Verinque agreed to stay together and Axel would allow him the money and points of all the mountain climbs then promptly took off. He gave his word then acted otherwise, but its still bike racing and Virenque was always a lewser to begin with no matter how many races he won

Stinky Hippie · 07-17-2005

...he could have taken over pacemaking duties and simply slowed the two of them down, thus giving Lance more time to catch up. Would Pereiro have stayed glued to his wheel then? Or would he have attacked? If he just waited, Lance and Basso would have caught them eventually. If he attacked, Hincapie would have just done what he had already done all day: neutralize the attack.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ivanthetrble

Looked it up in the dictionary:

hincapied: verb - doing exactly what he is supposed to do.

George was in the break group, what is supposed to do? Help them put time on his team leader by taking a strong pull at the front? That makes no sense at all. He was doing what the bonzos at TMob can't seem to do and that is be a team player. As was mentioned before he probably gained very little if any advantage while climbing.

Utah CragHopper · 07-17-2005

So if I get the general drift of these posts, the a-hats who were giving Mayo and Zubeldia and Boogerd a hard time had it wrong. Or maybe their opinion just changes because it's an american doing it. Couldn't be, could it?

shabbasuraj · 07-17-2005

Georgey won. Live with it people.

ScottS · 07-17-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by izibo

Actually, this makes no sense. There really is nothing to gain 'wheel-sucking' while climbing a mountain. This is completely different to the major different on a flat stage.

I do understand George didn't work while they were on flats, but that was due to team orders. Once it became clear that the break was going to survive, it didn't even matter.

Yeah, wasn't it just the day before that Chris Carmichael said they tested out the benefits of hanging on the wheel on big mtn climbs and found there to be no physical power output difference? I concede the mental aspect, but it's not like there's more "work" being done.

Sm1Cooler · 07-17-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Utah CragHopper

So if I get the general drift of these posts, the a-hats who were giving Mayo and Zubeldia and Boogerd a hard time had it wrong. Or maybe their opinion just changes because it's an american doing it. Couldn't be, could it?

mayo and chump had nothing to gain when they punked Jan. He was in a battle with LA and the Euskies had no shot at the overall and the stage was decided. If it was for the stage, fine, but to grab second and third when it does nothing for you and F***s a Maillot Jaune contender is lame.

In the battle for 1st, there are no friends. Every man for himself.

KeeponTrekkin · 07-17-2005

I can't believe the people (including OLN) who said George did no work... Go ahead and ride that stage with a faster time before you say that again. Team tactics always play a role and in this case, he did not need to pace or lead the breakaway. If he benefitted from the team leader's position in the race, then so be it; that's bike racing. Few in the peleton deserve a win more....

Inspector Gadget · 07-17-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Utah CragHopper

So if I get the general drift of these posts, the a-hats who were giving Mayo and Zubeldia and Boogerd a hard time had it wrong. Or maybe their opinion just changes because it's an american doing it. Couldn't be, could it?

No, George Euskatelled him, which was a bit disappointing to me, but I thought I heard one of the commentators state that Pereiro hardly pulled on the flats, either, if at all. Besides, where does a climber get off getting outgunned on an HC climb by a Classics specialist at 183 lbs? Wheelsucking or no, I would bet Hincapie's effort was harder than Pereiro's today.
In a perfect world, Hincapie pulling somewhere would have only made it all the better.
I also noticed often that LA and Hincapie were not right on the wheels of Basso and Pereiro, but up alongside to an extent. Proof that wheelsucking is useless on a big climb, or an echelon against cross winds? I don't know.

Utah CragHopper · 07-17-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sm1Cooler

mayo and chump had nothing to gain when they punked Jan. He was in a battle with LA and the Euskies had no shot at the overall and the stage was decided. If it was for the stage, fine, but to grab second and third when it does nothing for you and F***s a Maillot Jaune contender is lame.

Oh, really. The twelve second bonus Mayo got for outsprinting Ullrich put him within a handfull of seconds from Zubeldia in the G.C. The two finished fifth and sixth, fifteen seconds apart, in Paris with Zubeldia coming out on top. You can bet how they finished relative to one another it meant quite a bit to them.

PinarelloAsolo · 07-18-2005

NO GIFTS!!!!

Yay for Georgie!

Miles E · 07-18-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by RodeRash

Hincapie's strategy was to wait for Lance to catch the break. Even inside 1,000 metres you see Hincapie looking back to see who's behind him and if Lance is catching up.

I don't think it was Lance he was looking for. George was being smart and making sure Caucchioli or Boogerd (who both finished within a minute of George) hadn't snuck back up. It was pretty obvious when the breakaway went over the Col de Peyresourde with a twelve minute lead over the yellow jersey group that they would not be caught, much less when they began the Pla d'Adet with a seven minute lead.

I was kind of wondering why George didn't do any work once everyone knew the breakaway would stick, but on Pla d'Adet the onus was certainly on the climbers to drop him. Everyone knew he was the stronger finisher, especially with his fresh legs, so they would have to lose him on the steep parts. They tried, but George was superb and did exactly what he should have done and hung with them, but still forced them to set the pace. I was glad to see him go for it with ~250m to go. Much more classy than the last second pull around you often see.