George Hincapie

[Fovea]

rocks all over the block!

What a smart ride. What an amazing stage today!

After all that time as Lance's most faithful domestique, George Hincapie sure as hell shined today! RIGHT ON GEORGE!

Allez mon brave!

[BiggJawn]

1. I am hapie for Hincapie!

I'm glad Johann let him stay out instead of dropping back to help Lance with Basso.

[Longhorn]

2. I'm happy for him, too.

Some of the folks at www.bikeforums.net think it was a "cheap win" because he supposedly "sucked wheel" the entire time, not taking any pulls. I'm no cycling expert and certainly have never raced but I think a win is a win and I don't see why one cyclist is expected to help a competitor. I understand there are times when it is mutually beneficial to take turns pulling but I don't see it as a requirement. What do y'all think?

[BiggJawn]

3. I have to wonder...

How many of those folks could have ridden THIS course...

...and managed to stay 5 minutes ahead of Ivan Basso and Lance?

Fropm what I've read and experienced, "Taking a Pull" is of minimal effect at speeds less than 15 MPH. When you're slogging uphill slow enough that an over-paid, under-exercised Executive from Dusseldorf witha belly full of wine and a German flag in his mitts can keep up with you on foot, you're not gonna get much benefit from "Sucking Wheel".

If George welched out of some kind of agreement to share pulls, he'll pay for it tomorrow...The Peloton Never Forgets...

[Fovea]

4. And strategically

He was not there to help the break away get further away.
He was there to be able to help Lance and the team first, and go for a stage win second.

The rotation makes very little difference unless you are going at a speed where the greatest influence is drag, or there is a massive headwind.