George Hincapie

George Anthony Hincapie, born on June 29, 1973, in Queens, New York, began his cycling journey at the age of 10, following his father and brother into the sport. After a successful junior career that included 10 national titles and two World Championship medals, Hincapie transitioned to professional cycling in 1994. Throughout his career, he became recognized as a top Classics rider, specializing in tough single-day races in Northern Europe. A notable aspect of his career was his role as a key domestique for Lance Armstrong during all seven of his Tour de France victories from 1999 to 2005. He also supported Alberto Contador in 2007 and Cadel Evans in 2011, both of whom won the Tour de France.

Hincapie’s individual achievements include winning Gent–Wevelgem in 2001 and Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne in 2005. In 2005, he secured a stage win in the Tour de France, a significant personal milestone. He also achieved overall victory in the Tour of Missouri in 2007 and was a three-time US Professional Road Race champion in 1998, 2006, and 2009. Hincapie is also a five-time Olympian, participating in the Olympic Games in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008. He holds the record for starting 17 Tours de France. After retiring from professional cycling in 2012, Hincapie ventured into entrepreneurship, co-founding Hincapie Sportswear with his brother Rich and later opening a boutique hotel and restaurant in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. In March 2017, he won the Masters category at the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race with Cadel Evans.

In October 2012, Hincapie released a statement acknowledging his use of performance-enhancing drugs during a portion of his career, attributing it to the prevalent use by other top cyclists at the time. This admission led to a six-month ban and the stripping of his race results between May 31, 2004, and July 31, 2006. Despite this, his overall impact on American cycling remains significant through his competitive career and his post-retirement endeavors.