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By Christopher Hulse
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To anyone who follows professional cycling, George Hincapie is one of the cornerstones of the anglophone contingent racing in Europe. I first met him in 1999 and was immediately impressed by his incredible modesty and athletic ability. George is a pro's pro who consistently performs well throughout the season, doing well in the nasty early season classics as well as the Tour de France where he has played a crucial role helping secure Lance Armstrong's three Tour de France victories. I caught up with him via e-mail to talk about the coming season and his thoughts on winning Paris-Roubaix.
Cyclingnews: Have you made any resolutions for 2002?
George Hincapie: I just want to be better then last year, that would be mine.
CN: How significant will it be to have Lance Armstrong working for you in some of this years classics?
GH: Lance will bring the team to a new level, he requires that everyone around him give their best and anything else is unacceptable. Over the last several years we have become really good friends and it means a lot to me that he is doing that.
CN: What are the chances we will see you on the top step of the Roubaix velodrome this April?
GH: We are still a long way from there, but I am confident that I could do that.
CN: Is there anyone on Postal who you feel could be part of the final group at Paris Roubaix and thus help you get that cobblestone trophy?
GH: We have a lot of new strong guys, Mondini and Padrnos, but we also have guys like Matthew White and Tony Cruz, who have showed they are not afraid of the classics.
CN: There was a lot of talk about switching teams after last years P-R but since then you have extended your contract with U.S. Postal, could you fathom riding for a European team?
GH: I like where I am at, they are backing me, and as far as I am concerned there was no reason why I should leave.
CN: Girona, Spain is a beautiful city with the ideal climate and terrain for training, is there anywhere else that you would consider living?
GH: I considered living in Nice for a while, but I really do enjoy Spain, I think I will be there for a while.