Everyone has that little experiment sophomore year, and assuming that the alcohol consumption decreases, it pretty much ends right there. Right? Didn’t happen with you? Oh. Well. What about the first time you saw my man George Hincapie (above)? To all the brothers in the house, tell me you would not switch or dump your current Mary for this man. Not convinced? Let’s try this out: member of 8 Tour de France winning teams.
8. Consecutive. U.S. National Champion. Always the man to beat in the great European one day classics. 6′ 3″, 165 lbs. George Hincapie is to US Pro Cycling as Clarence Clemmons is to the E Street Band: the Big Man. Which means something in particular: he will never climb the highest mountains with the fastest climbers, e.g. he will never win a grand tour. For some people this might be an issue of lifelong frustration.
Everything I have seen indicates that, for George Hincapie, this biomechanical truth means that he knows his highest achievement is in service to a team and a sport. In particular, he has chosen to go with a team this year which is not assured of a grand tour win. This team might not be able to support Georgie’s ambitions in the Classics. Team BMC, however, can continue to build and expand the sport of cycling in the United States. Broader professional exposure can only serve to expand the popularity of and support for the sport on this side of the pond.
So, aside from his smoking hotness, this is why I have a persistent man crush on George Hincapie: he is true to himself. George pushes his abilities to their limits, but he knows those limits. His grace and humor are apparent, as is his strength. He can be tough in the defense of his leader, and selfless in his contributions to the success of his team. Humility is very sexy, if you ask me.