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George Hincapie’s book is not just another cycling memoir. It’s not an apology or an accusation. It’s certainly not a ploy for pity. It’s the true story of the life of a great man, on and off the bike.
As a cycling fan for the last few decades, I have made no secret of the fact that Big George Hincapie has been my hero. Hincapie’s memoir confirmed everything I thought he was and hoped he would be: a gifted, driven, and passionate athlete; a generous and gracious human being; and a humble and honest man.
I’ve read quite a few cycling memoirs. Some come across as tell-all stories, some cocky, some accusatory, some whiny, some looking for pity as victims of circumstance. George Hincapie’s story is none of these. He explains honestly what his life was like as a professional cyclist. The work, the pain, the sacrifice (even something as tiny as foregoing the mints on a hotel pillow because it wouldn’t make him a better cyclist), the love of speed, the drive and single-mindedness it takes not to give up, and the discipline all year, year after year, to pull it all together.
Some critics of this book have said that it’s disjointed and doesn’t flow because of the number of quotes from other people inserted into the narrative of George’s life. I was never a big fan of Craig Hummer as a commentator on the Tour de France, and I have to admit surprise when I saw his name as co-author on the book. When I read the first couple comments inserted about George, I was concerned about the flow Hummer was orchestrating. But I got caught up in the honest arc of Hincapie’s story, and I see why Hummer chose this approach. I think it was brilliant. It mirrors George’s cycling career: he rode for everybody else. George Hincapie endured the pain and the training to so his teammates would win most of the glory. Why not let other people speak for George and sing his praises in his story? Why not let other people be the domestiques with words to convey the truth about the rider and the man George Hincapie? George exudes—in life and in his story—a humility in spite of his confident ability—that means he won’t say about himself what others could say about him.
For example, Mark Cavendish says “[George Hincapie] should be known as the most famous domestique ever. Here’s no one in his league. He helped all types of riders win—GC, climbers, classics, sprinters, TT…It didn’t matter the situation.” Who else can claim that kind of continued success for the better part of two decades? It’s only fitting that other people’s words could act as domestiques for the George’s story.
When we look at the arc of a cycling career, George Hincapie’s may have been one of the most brilliant—while rarely putting himself on the podium. After all, he rode the Tour de France seventeen times. Nine of those times, he piloted the Tour champion—not just for Lance, but Cadel Evans and Alberto Contador, too; and he was lead-out man for Mark Cavendish for numerous stage wins. A great rider? Without question.
Mark Cavendish, the Manx Missile, shows his appreciation for George loud and clear:
“We don’t win like that without George. He made it impossible to lose…I often referred to him as ‘the Guarantee.’ He could put anyone in the best position at any time.’” (231)…And when told George was leaving HTC Columbia, Mark said, “I love him to bits. He’s very much a big brother. On a personal level, I didn’t want him to leave, and on a professional level, I freaked out a bit. I didn’t know if I could win without him.”
Some critics have said that Hincapie glosses over the doping dilemma; others have said that he should have slam-dunked Lance Armstrong. Others have said that he excuses himself. I disagree. By nature of being the “Loyal Lieutenant,” George is part of the whole Lance scandal. He doesn’t gloss it over. He simply doesn’t place blame anywhere except in his own decisions. And, why is it that we want heroes who are supermen (and even on Wheaties Boxes) but we cannot accept that the same men who are capable of unbelievably great accomplishments might also be capable of great mistakes?
We have enough tell-all stories to inform us about what happened in the courts and who felt harried by the media and by the USADA. That wasn’t the purpose of this memoir. Hincapie doesn’t trash Lance; he’s honest about their relationship, their team and their mistakes. It’s a story about what it takes to be a pro cyclist, including that choice: to ride with the big boys or go home. Let him among us “without sin” be the one to cast the stones. We haven’t ridden in those slipstreams and we certainly haven’t pulled those pacelines. George made the choice, and then later made the choice to ride clean and still be at the top. I think it’s a story that needs to be read by cycling fans around the world.
Lance Armstrong said, “He’s the greatest, bar none, teammate the world of sport has ever seen, the one guy who made my success possible. My wins do not happen without George Hincapie. Anyone who thinks differently is kidding themselves.”
If we don’t want to hear what Lance said because he’s a “cheat and a liar,” then we need to rethink such a black-and-white view of the world where rights and wrongs are never as clearcut as we might like.
George’s own words say it best, perhaps. In the epilogue, he addresses his children: “While I would never want you […] to make the same decision I made, I would want you to dedicate yourself to something the way I did. Also, know that even though you can make wrong decisions along the way, you always have the chance to right them.”
Ultimately, Big George’s story proves that he does indeed deserve our continued love and respect.
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