George Hincapie, adopted local boy and team rider of BMC Racing, finished his 15th Tour de France. If he competes next year, he equals the record held by Joop Zoetemelk. Hincapie had an indifferent tour this year. Last year, he was a crucial member of HTC-Columbia's team and led Mark Renshaw and Mark Cavendish coming up to the Champs-Élysées as HTC-Columbia were unstoppable in the sprint finishes. This year, Cavendish had to make do without both lead off men and Hincapie suffered a mechanical problem on the first lap in the French capital and had to wait for a replacement bike. He caught up with the peleton before the serious racing began.
BMC Racing Team's highest placed sprinter was actually Cadel Evans who briefly held the yellow jersey before suffering a fracture to his left elbow. BMC Racing Team's goals for the rest of the Tour de France seemed undefined from that point on, and Hincapie was not part of a breakaway, unlike the Tour of California earlier in the season. There did not seem to be a plan to reclaim the yellow jersey for Evans however, he was appreciative of his fellow riders. "Being here with George and Karsten has been very enjoyable despite my lack of results," Evans said, referring to Hincapie and Karsten Kroon. "It's been a real pleasure to ride alongside those guys." Karsten Kroon has previously won a stage in the Tour de France, back in 2002, and held the King of the Mountains jersey briefly in 2005.
There has been no word on whether Hincapie, whose final finishing place was 59th, will be competing in next year's Tour de France. However, finishing the event in Paris against one of the world's most recognizable backdrops, the Eiffel Tower, surely cannot be beat. "This never gets old," Hincapie shared, as he posed for team photos in Paris.
Hincapie's immediate future is being questioned regarding Floyd Landis' doping accusations and preparing for the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah in August. “I’m excited to be able to do another race in the U.S.,” said Hincapie. “From what I’ve heard, it’s a well-organized and very demanding race.” Jeff Louder won the event in 2008 so BMC Racing Team will be pushing for a good result on their debut in the race. We'll follow HIncapie's progress next month.
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