Look At Cyclist George Hincapie: He's All Grown Up
http://www.byjamesraia.com/articles/29/1/Look-At-Cyclist-George-Hincapie-He039s-All-Grown-Up/Page1.html
By James Raia
Published on 06/20/2007
For the past few years, there were two reporters in Tour de France press rooms who still wrote their articles on portable typewriters. They either faxed their copy to editors or dictated it.
Both of those journalists are gone this year, but there's still plenty of reporters around who've been covering the event for more than 30 years.
I'm not quite in that category, but I realized yesterday I've been around the sport for a while when George Hincapie was speaking at the Tour de France press conference. He looked so poised and gave articulate answers. I suddenly remembered he's 32 now. He and his former podium girl wife have a young daughter.
But I can remember first covering Hincapie when he was an amateur. He was still a teenager. He was prone to giving one-word answers and he often cried at races.
For the past few years, there were two reporters in Tour de France press rooms who still wrote their articles on portable typewriters. They either faxed their copy to editors or dictated it.Both of those journalists are gone this year, but there's still plenty of reporters around who've been covering the event for more than 30 years.
I'm not quite in that category, but I realized yesterday I've been around the sport for a while when George Hincapie was speaking at the Tour de France press conference. He looked so poised and gave articulate answers. I suddenly remembered he's 32 now. He and his former podium girl wife have a young daughter.
But I can remember first covering Hincapie when he was an amateur. He was still a teenager. He was prone to giving one-word answers and he often cried at races.
For the past few years, there were two reporters iTour de France press rooms who still wrote their articles on portable typewriters. They either faxed their copy to editors or dictated it.
Both of those journalists are gone this year, but there's still plenty of reporters around who've been covering the event for more than 30 years.
I'm not quite in that category, but I realized yesterday I've been around the sport for a while when George Hincapie was speaking at the Tour de France press conference. He looked so poised and gave articulate answers. I suddenly remembered he's 32 now. He and his former podium girl wife have a young daughter.
But I can remember first covering Hincapie when he was an amateur. He was still a teenager. He was prone to giving one-word answers and he often cried at races.
I can recall one of Hincapie's botched early career sprints, for example, during the early years of the Tour de Trump . . . or perhaps it was Tour DuPont.
Hincapie had ridden a very strong stage, sometimes in a strong rain. The stage finish was a steep descent into Hot Springs, Va., and Hincapie miscalculated his gearing.
Phil Anderson, the former great Australian rider, and Hincapie contested a furious sprint, and Hincapie appeared to have won. But he was later disqualified for riding out his sprint line.
Hincapie was devastated. When a few other reporters and I arrived at his team van, Hincapie was crying. A few years later, he cried at the USPro Championship in Philadelphia when he was awarded the winner's jersey, but was subsequently disqualified.
Hincapie has since gone on to do great things in cycling. He was Lance Armstrong's dutiful teammate for seven years in the Tour de France. He's won a European Classic. Last year he won the most difficult stage of Tour. And now he's worn the Tour's race leader's jersey.
And there he was giving his press conference Monday in Strasbourg. He talked calmly and with confidence. He spoke of being one of the best one-day riders in the world. And he talked about seizing opportunities and changing his career from being a sprinter to an overall rider.
With Armstrong retired, look at George now. He's all grown up.
Both of those journalists are gone this year, but there's still plenty of reporters around who've been covering the event for more than 30 years.I'm not quite in that category, but I realized yesterday I've been around the sport for a while when George Hincapie was speaking at the Tour de France press conference. He looked so poised and gave articulate answers. I suddenly remembered he's 32 now. He and his former podium girl wife have a young daughter.
But I can remember first covering Hincapie when he was an amateur. He was still a teenager. He was prone to giving one-word answers and he often cried at races.
I can recall one of Hincapie's botched early career sprints, for example, during the early years of the Tour de Trump . . . or perhaps it was Tour DuPont.
Hincapie had ridden a very strong stage, sometimes in a strong rain. The stage finish was a steep descent into Hot Springs, Va., and Hincapie miscalculated his gearing.
Phil Anderson, the former great Australian rider, and Hincapie contested a furious sprint, and Hincapie appeared to have won. But he was later disqualified for riding out his sprint line.
Hincapie was devastated. When a few other reporters and I arrived at his team van, Hincapie was crying. A few years later, he cried at the USPro Championship in Philadelphia when he was awarded the winner's jersey, but was subsequently disqualified.
Hincapie has since gone on to do great things in cycling. He was Lance Armstrong's dutiful teammate for seven years in the Tour de France. He's won a European Classic. Last year he won the most difficult stage of Tour. And now he's worn the Tour's race leader's jersey.
And there he was giving his press conference Monday in Strasbourg. He talked calmly and with confidence. He spoke of being one of the best one-day riders in the world. And he talked about seizing opportunities and changing his career from being a sprinter to an overall rider.
With Armstrong retired, look at George now. He's all grown up.