Bio

George Hincapie is one of the most recognized riders in the world, with numerous world championships, national championships and professional victories to his credit. He is easily distinguished from the pack by his large 6’3” frame and Oakley sunglasses.

Hincapié is most widely known as the only teammate to play a pivotal role in all seven of Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France victories. He is one of only two riders in Tour de France history to have raced on eight Tour-winning teams. As of the end of the 2009 Tour, Hincapie has raced the Tour 14 times, finishing all but the first year.

He also had several important wins of his own, starting with Gent-Wevelgem in 2001 and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in 2005. Also in 2005, Hincapie took two stage wins at the Dauphiné Libéré and 2nd place at Paris-Roubaix. In 2005 he also had his first stage win in the Tour de France where, on July 17, he finished seven seconds ahead of Óscar Pereiro to win stage 15 from Lézat-sur-Lèze to Pla d’Adet. More recent victories include two stages at the Tour of California (2006), the overall and a stage at the Tour of Missouri (2007), and another stage win at the Dauphiné Libéré in 2008. He is a two-time US Professional Road Race champion (1998, 2006).

In recent years Hincapie has shown a talent for short individual time trials (ITTs), winning the prologue at the 2005 Dauphiné Libéré, placing second three times and third once in prologues in 2006 (including at the Tour de France), and placing second in the short ITT at Three Days of De Panne. He also won the ITT at the Eneco Tour of Benelux in 2006 and placed fourth in two longer ITTs that year. He finished third in the prologue at the 2007 Tour de France and second in the prologue at the Volta a Catalunya in 2008.

His father Ricardo, a Colombian, introduced him to cycling, and his first race training was in New York City’s Central Park. Hincapie is married to former runway model and Tour de France podium girl Melanie Simonneau, and they have two kids. In 2004, Hincapie launched his own line of sportswear with his brother Richard.