.jpg) Hincapie at the2010 Tour of California | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | George Anthony Hincapie |
| Nickname | Big George |
| Born | (1973-06-29)June 29, 1973 (age 52) Queens, New York, US |
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 79 kg (174 lb; 12 st 6 lb) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Modern Adventure Pro Cycling |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role |
|
| Rider type |
|
| Professional teams | |
| 1994–1996 | Motorola |
| 1997–2005 | U.S. Postal Service |
| 2005-2007 | Discovery Channel |
| 2008–2009 | Team High Road |
| 2010–2012 | BMC Racing Team |
| Managerial teams | |
| 2012–2020 | BMC–Hincapie Sportswear Team |
| 2026– | Modern Adventure Pro Cycling |
| Major wins | |
Grand Tours
| |
George Anthony Hincapie (born June 29, 1973) is an American former racingcyclist, who competed professionally between 1994 and 2012.[1] Hincapie was a keydomestique ofLance Armstrong. Hincapie was also a domestique forAlberto Contador in2007 and forCadel Evans in2011, when both men won theTour de France. He was the owner and general manager ofUCI Professional Continental teamHincapie–Leomo p/b BMC until it folded at the end of the 2020 season.[2] In 2025, Hincapie formedModern Adventure Pro Cycling alongside his brother Richard.[3]
On October 10, 2012, Hincapie released a statement on his website acknowledging the use of performance-enhancing drugs and confirming that he had been approached by US federal investigators and USADA about his experiences with doping.[4] Later that day a statement was released confirming his acceptance of a six-month ban from September 1, 2012, ending on March 1, 2013, along with a stripping of all race results between May 31, 2004, and July 31, 2006.[5]
Hincapie started a record 17 Tours, however, after his doping admission he was retroactively disqualified from the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Tours. The only Tour he started but did not finish was his first. He completed his 16th and final Tour in 2012, which tiedJoop Zoetemelk's record of completed Tours. However, following the outcome of the Armstrong investigation, the record reverted to Zoetemelk.[6] He also rode at five consecutiveOlympic Games between 1992 and 2008.[7]
Hincapie was born inQueens, New York, United States. His father Ricardo, a native ofColombia, introduced him to cycling, and his first race training was in New York City'sCentral Park. He graduated fromFarmingdale High School inLong Island in 1991.
Hincapie has several important wins of his own, starting withGent–Wevelgem in 2001 andKuurne–Brussels–Kuurne in 2005. Also in 2005, Hincapie took two stage wins at theCritérium du Dauphiné and 2nd place atParis–Roubaix. In 2005 he had his first stage win in theTour de France where, on July 17, he finished seven seconds ahead of climberÓscar Pereiro to win Stage 15 from Lézat-sur-Lèze to Pla d'Adet. In January 2014, Pereiro acknowledged in a radio show that during the final climb, Hincapie turned his head and said 50,000, which Pereiro assumed was in Euros, although Hincapie was referring to U.S. dollars. Pereiro accepted the offer and sold the stage to Hincapie.[8] The deal was closed some kilometers before arriving to the finish line.[9] More recent victories include two stages at theTour of California (2006), the overall and a stage at theTour of Missouri (2007), and another stage win at theCritérium du Dauphiné in 2008. He is a three-time US Professional Road Race champion (1998, 2006, 2009).
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Throughout his career Hincapie has targeted the cobbled classics of April, specifically the week that begins with theTour of Flanders, continues mid-week withGent–Wevelgem, and ends withParis–Roubaix. He achieved his highest position on the podium with his 2001 victory inGent–Wevelgem. His 2nd-place finish in the2005 Paris-Roubaix remains the highest placing in that race by an American.
His many top 10 placings in these races include 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th (twice), 7th, and 10th in variousTour of Flanders; 3rd, 4th (three times), and 5th inGent–Wevelgem, in addition to his victory; and 2nd, 4th (twice), 6th (twice), 8th, and 9th inParis–Roubaix. While usingThree Days of De Panne as a warm-up ride during the previous week, he has placed well in that race also, winning the overall in 2004 and placing third overall in 2002.
In 2005, Hincapie showed a talent for shortindividual time trials (ITTs), winning the prologue at the 2005Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, placing second three times and third once in prologues in 2006 (including at theTour de France), and placing second in the shortITT atThree Days of De Panne. In the2006 Paris–Roubaix, bad luck struck Hincapie in the cobbled sector ofMons-en-Pévèle, when the steerer tube of hisTrek bicycle snapped, leaving him dangling with no handlebars and crashing heavily. He was near the lead group but had to abandon the race.[10] He later won the ITT at theEneco Tour of Benelux in 2006 and placed fourth in two longer ITTs that year. He finished third in the prologue at the2007 Tour de France and second in the prologue at theVolta a Catalunya in 2008.
Hincapie rode forTeam Columbia in the 2008 and 2009 seasons, departingDiscovery Channel Pro Cycling Team shortly before it disbanded.[11] He is easily distinguished from the pack by his large size (1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)). His contract with the team expired after the 2009 season, and though there was talk of him joining Armstrong's newTeam RadioShack, Hincapie signed withBMC Racing Team for the 2010 season.[12]
In 2012 he established theBMC–Hincapie Sportswear Team, initially with support from BMC.[13] He also set a record by completing his 17th Tour of Flanders, surpassingBriek Schotte.[14] On June 11, Hincapie announced that he would retire at the end of the season, after 19 years in the professional peloton.[15] On June 30, Hincapie started a record 17thTour de France. He was allowed to lead the race onto the Champs-Élysées as this was his final Tour de France.[16] In August, Hincapie announced that he had raced in his last event, theUSA Pro Cycling Challenge. In his own words: “It's been a long career for me, a good career and I'm proud of it. I'm sad to leave, but at the same time, I'm excited to spend more time with my family and start a new life.”[17] He also said that he didn't plan to terminate all his relations with cycling.[18] Following his retirement, Hincapie opened a boutique hotel and high-end restaurant inTravelers Rest, South Carolina with his brother.[19]
In March, 2017, Hincapie turned to mountain biking and competed in the Masters category at the eight-day AbsaCape Epic stage race in South Africa over 641 km. The race is held in a two-person team format and Hincapie and partnerCadel Evans – reunited after Hincapie helped Evans to win the 2011 Tour de France – won the category.
On October 10, 2012, Hincapie announced on his website that he had used banned substances at times in his career. The statement reads in part:
"Because of my love for the sport, the contributions I feel I have made to it, and the amount the sport of cycling has given to me over the years, it is extremely difficult today to acknowledge that during a part of my career I used banned substances. Early in my professional career, it became clear to me that, given the widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs by cyclists at the top of the profession, it was not possible to compete at the highest level without them. I deeply regret that choice and sincerely apologize to my family, teammates and fans."
— [4]
The statement came as theU.S. Anti-Doping agency announced plans to release documents related to doping accusations againstLance Armstrong, a former teammate of Hincapie.[20]
Team time trial, National Road Championships
Points classificationRoad race, National Road Championships Points classification,Tour de Luxembourg
OverallThree Days of De Panne
after Stages 1–2Road race, National Road Championships OverallTour of MissouriRoad race, National Road Championships
Overall MastersCape Epic (withCadel Evans)| Grand Tour | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tour de France | — | DNF | 104 | 53 | 78 | 65 | 71 | 59 | 47 | 24 | 35 | 17 | 59 | 56 | 38 | |||
 Vuelta a España | 110 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Monument | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan–San Remo | — | 133 | 77 | 47 | 46 | 9 | DNF | 9 | 16 | — | 13 | — | — | — | 42 | 39 | 55 | 22 | 33 |
| Tour of Flanders | 54 | 32 | 52 | 23 | 17 | 21 | 17 | 13 | 4 | — | 10 | — | 5 | 34 | 6 | 6 | 52 | ||
| Paris–Roubaix | 31 | 21 | 29 | 59 | OTL | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | — | 8 | — | 9 | 44 | 29 | 42 | 43 | ||
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Giro di Lombardia | Did not contest during career | ||||||||||||||||||
| Classic | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| Omloop Het Nieuwsblad | 21 | 27 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | DNF | — | — | — | — | — | 67 | — | — | |
| Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne | 13 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Dwars door Vlaanderen | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| E3 Harelbeke | 37 | — | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | DNF | |
| Gent–Wevelgem | 54 | 52 | 16 | — | 69 | 4 | 26 | 1 | 3 | — | 4 | — | 53 | 16 | 4 | 30 | 51 | ||
| Brabantse Pijl | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Clásica de San Sebastián | 51 | — | — | — | — | 131 | 59 | 73 | — | 15 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| HEW Cyclassics | — | — | — | — | 54 | 5 | — | — | 5 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| GP Ouest–France | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
| NH | Not held |
| Voided result |
He is married to former runway model and Tour de Francepodium girl Melanie Simonneau,[21] and they have three children, a daughter and two sons. Hincapie resides inGreenville, South Carolina.
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bart Bowen | United States National Road Race Championships Winner 1998 | Succeeded by Marty Jemison |
| Preceded by | United States National Road Race Championships Winner 2006 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States National Road Race Championships Winner 2009 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |