powertapgeek.com

Greenville SC Climbs via Google Maps

Ever wonder why some of us moved to SC for biking? Coach Boyd like me relocated here because of the ideal weather, traffic and climbing. Yes for all of you who think we have no mountains check this map out.

Hincapie Leaves Discovery for...

Well this has been under wraps for quite some time. But with some of the European media finally catching on it was time to spill the beans...

George Hincapie is leaving Discovery Channel for the pinker pastures of T-Mobile. It seems that the opportunity to be a team leader in his beloved classics was too much to pass up. I expect that the announcement will leak fully in the coming days or weeks. [UCI rules dictate that the announcements can not be official until late July.]

Hincapie is nearing the end of his career so this may be his last team he rides for.  T-Mobile really beats out its competitors by signing Hincapie.

First, the most prolific Active American rider of his generation. Neither Jullich nor Leipheimer can hold a candle to Hincapie in terms of popularity. Plus the other guys have never had much commercial success.

Second T-mobile gains probably one of the cleanest racers in the world. I mean who else  has raced this long without any doping whispers. A true boost to the reputation Bill Stapleton is trying to project.

Third, T-Mobile gets a  high quality rider that throws down for his team mates and can deliver the goods if need be.

Fourth T-Mobile gets an American to boost the sponsorship on this side of the country.

Hincapie gets a team that this year has proven can race the classics. They have a tremendous amount of young talented riders.

US racing will gain the full support of its races by T-Mobile adding one more team racing frequently on our shores.

Discovery has some answers because of this. They lose their super-star. Even if Leipheimer does well we all know who will be there day in and day out. They probably lost him with the Basso affair and not signing any loyal Classics guy to really control a race for Hincapie. The BS that Hoste pulled last year was a shame since George had Boonen covered.

I wonder how Armstorng and Bruyneel will spin this one when reporters start shoving mics in their face asking if this had anything to do with doping or their failure to secure sponsors. 

I think that Discovery Channel is scrambling to find sponsorship. You rarely if ever hear it mentioned outside of the doping scandals. Landis's trial is over without much conclusion from the media. Most main stream US media have written cycling off to the same joke Baseball and Wrestling have become with the dopers winning and everyone lying.

If I were George I would pray that other former T-Mobile alumni ( Ullrich and the rest of the old T-Mobile guard) go off and disappear so that the T-Mobile executives still approve the budgets for the sponsorship and don't bail out at the last minute like Cofids and Franke did recently.

George beat the other Discovery guys out of the gate by getting a deal done before the silly season of the Tour begins. Some guys are probably going to have take a pay cut since sponsors are harder to come by...

Go George.