Tour de France News for June 30, 2003
Edited by Chris Henry
Hincapie 100 per cent
Photo: © Luc Claessen
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Postal workhorse and a key member of Lance's Armstrong's team for the
Tour de France, George Hincapie, has expressed he is feeling "100 per
cent and ready to go".
In an interview with Cyclingnews, Hincapie revealed the respiratory problems
that plagued him earlier in the year and the disappointment of missing
the spring classics are now behind him, and the US Postal line-up for
the Tour is stronger than ever:
"I felt like I had broken out of this cocoon. What people were telling
me throughout - which is hard to see when you're in this illness - is
that you're still the same person; you're not going to lose the last ten
years of being a professional cyclist," said Hincapie about his road to
recovery.
The New York-born rider said he felt his Tour spot was 'earned' after
his solid performance at the Volta a Catalunya, where Hincapie almost
won the final stage and finished 24th on general classification.
"The team was riding so strongly and they were so many guys riding well.
There were no guarantees, but I had confidence in myself; I felt that
if I reached the level I was at before, I deserved that spot, and I definitely
think that I deserved a spot on the Tour team," he said.
Hincapie also turns 30 years old today, however, the celebrations will
most likely be postponed until after the Tour de France ends on July 27.
Following the Tour, he plans to ride the remaining races on the World
Cup, the Vuelta a Espaņa and the World Championships in Canada on October
11.
(See also: Cyclingnews
interview with George Hincapie)
Indurain speaks
With the Tour de France fast approaching, the only man to win five consecutive
Tours, Miguel Indurain, offered his thoughts on two of the biggest riders
in the race. Lance Armstrong will this year challenge for his fifth consecutive
Tour, and if successful will join Indurain as holder of that unique distinction.
At the same time, 1997 winner Jan Ullrich will make a return to the route
du Tour after having missed the 2002 edition due to injury. Indurain,
in an interview with German paper Welt am Sonntag, commented on the two
men and how they compare on the eve of the centenary Tour.
"Even as a young rider [Armstrong] had incredible self-confidence," Indurain
said. "He only lacked consistency. I believe the cancer changed everything.
Today he races with a completely different attitude, and is a better rider.
He has a mentality which forces others to their knees. He can't have a
bad day and crack."
As for Ullrich, Indurain believes the German has matured since his first
Tour win, and subsequent difficulties, and is capable of beating the American.
"Physically he's a giant," Indurain said of Ullrich. "If he starts to
believe more in his own racing ability, then he can win."
"Jan began winning very early, whereas I won my first Tour at 27. Perhaps
it was too early for him, because when the first problems began to emerge,
he lost sight of his objectives. Instead of riding his own races, he probably
thought too much about being beaten by Lance."
While Armstrong appears ready and confident for a successful defence
of his title, Ullrich has insisted that this year will be one with modest
ambitions, and he will be content with a stage win. Observers of his steady
progression since returning to racing in April, however, still tip the
German as perhaps the only man who can truly challenge the American.
Post-Tour criterium booking begins
Lance Armstrong has begun his scheduling of criterium appearances after
the Tour de France. According to an AP report, Armstrong is due to appear
in the Altstadt-Kriterium in Graz, Austria on July 29, two days after
the Tour finish in Paris. Like most criteriums, the short course (60km)
provides an opportunity for local fans to see their heroes of the Tour
up close, and for riders is often a lucrative endeavour as organisers
pay generous start fees.
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(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2003)
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