You know it’s spring time when the weather warms up, the birds sing and … George Hincapie starts sounding confident ahead of the classics. Speaking to cyclingnews.com, “Big George” is getting ready for the monuments.
For years American cycling was gifted Armstrong’s Tour de France riding but this was a once a year thing and to fuel interest in the wider calendar Hincapie has helped bring Americans to the classics. Every year it seems he’s ready for Paris-Roubaix but the media hype means his every word is relayed via the sections of the English-speaking internet when comments from Devolder, Hoste or Flecha perhaps don’t get the same focus.
Make no mistake, he’s an excellent rider who can consistently break into the top-10 in the cobbled classics and he’s won Gent-Wevelgem, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and the De Panne 3-day. Just remember that many riders are equally confident ahead of the cobbled classics. I wonder if it’s demand or supply: do websites like cyclingnews.com give space to Hincapie’s comments because fans want to read it (demand) or do the writers find it easier to get of quotes from English-speaking riders (supply)?