HIGH ROAD’S HINCAPIE WINS FINAL STAGE OF TOUR OF CALIFORNIA!

HIGH ROAD’S HINCAPIE WINS FINAL STAGE OF TOUR OF CALIFORNIA!

Pasadena CA (February 24, 2008) There is something about George Hincapie, rain and cold that all combine for a potent mix in bicycle racing. After taking second place in Stage 4 in San Luis Obispo after a bone-chilling all-day drizzle three days earlier, Hincapie finished the 3rd Amgen Tour of California by winning Stage 7, a 95-mile route from Santa Clarita to Pasadena’s Rose Bowl. Along the way the peloton endured more rain and, at times, near freezing temperatures.

Riding the Giant TCR Advanced SL Team prototype, Hincapie outsprinted a 5- man breakaway to the finish that had been off the front for almost 70 miles of the stage. In the final 50 meters, Hincapie bested Rory Sutherland of Health Net, Jason McCartney of Team CSC, Michael Creed of Rock Racing, and Tom Zirbel of Bissell Pro Cycling.

"The last 30 kilometers were really difficult and it just happened to work out for me," Hincapie told an interviewer after the stage. "Today was cold, not as cold as Thursday. But as soon as we got onto the circuits it was really aggressive and we warmed up really quick."

Coming in 6th in the stage (:12 seconds behind Hincapie but leading the rest of the peloton) was High Road’s Mark Cavendish. Cavendish had been denied the stage victory in Santa Clarita the day before even though he’d crossed the finish line first. Race officials decided he had received too much help from the team car during a mechanical adjustment after a crash in the final 9 kilometers. The :20 penalty he was assessed cost him the victory.

Director sportif Rolf Aldag said that the mood within the team after Saturday’s issues, one of redemption, was led by Cavendish. "Cavendish had the feeling that nothing could go wrong today," said Aldag. "I think that went around the team really quickly was that we would show them we can win."

In the final General Classification, Hincapie finished 18th, 7:08 behind Astana’s Levi Leipheimer. Leipheimer the defending champion of the Amgen Tour of California, won the event a second time with an overall race time of 29 hours, 24 minutes and 32 seconds. 2nd on the podium was David Millar of Slipstream and third was his teammate Christian Vandevelde.

(Editors’ note: Some information for this story was taken from accounts found at:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/feb08/california08/?id=results/california087)