George Hincapie became the first American ever to finish on the podium in the classic Paris-Roubaix bicycle race on Sunday as he was beaten at the line by Belgian Tom Boonen.
Hincapie, The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team's favorite to win, raced at the head of the 3-man lead group as they entered the Roubaix velodrome. Boonen, fresh off a win at the Tour of Flanders last weekend, attacked with a half-lap to go.
Hincapie has raced the Paris-Roubaix nearly every year since 1995. Until today, his best finishes were 4th, in 1999 and 2001. A summary of the race is available at the Paris-Roubaix website. Also, the race will be televised on OLN's Cyclysm Sunday, beginning at 5 p.m. (EST) today.
Known as the “Hell of the North”, the 103rd Paris-Roubaix lived up to its reputation this year. The 168-mile race featured about 34 miles of cobblestones that are difficult when dry, and downright treacherous when wet.
A group broke away early with more than 100 miles left to race. Then, 53 miles out, the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling team started leading the peloton, which was about 5 minutes behind the leaders. Disco's Michael Barry led the peloton for a while, then a chase group that included Hincapie broke from the peloton with 47 miles to go. Quick.Step's Tom Boonen and Magnus Backstedt (Liquigas), the winner of last year's Paris-Roubaix, were also in this group.
The chase group caught the leaders with about 32 miles left in the race; then the five led until Lars Michaelson (CSC) punctured and Backstedt got dropped on the cobbles with about 9 miles to go. Hincapie, Boonen and Juan Antonio Flecha (Fassa) cooperated the rest of the way into the velodrame.
Hincapie, 31, has done well in the classics this spring, finishing 7th at the Tour of Flanders last week and 6th in the Brabantse Pijl. He's been a mainstay on Armstrong's US Postal teams and stayed on when it became Discovery Channel Pro Cycling this year.
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