(Update: “Hincapie returning to US for surgery…”) Speculation before the Paris-Roubaix bike race focused on George Hincapie's chances of improving on last year's second place finish or Tom Boonen winning two in a row.
The race ended with Hincapie left crumpled at the side of the cobblestones and Boonen gaining second thanks to three disqualifications. Swiss cyclist Fabian Cancellera finished the 160-mile Hell of the North course in first place.
VeloNews reported that Hincapie could require shoulder surgery because of his crash. He had been taken to a hospital in Roubaix for X-rays.
The accident happened when the steering tube broke on Hincapie's specially modified Trek 5200 about 28 miles from the finish. He went to the left on the cobblestones, flipped over the wheel and landed on his right shoulder.
The Paceline (official fan club of Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team) said Hincapie was last seen holding his right arm.
The 32-year-old Discovery Channel team leader from South Carolina was riding a Trek 5200 that had been modified to absorb vibrations from the many cobblestoned section along the route in northern France, according to CyclingNews. In a promotional Q&A before the race, with pictures, Trek designers told CyclingNews that the steerer was made from aluminum that had been “blasted and anodized black.”
The photo from the VeloNews website, above, clearly shows where the break occurred.
Gate crashers
A bizarre twist toward the end of the race resulted in Boonen being awarded second place, robbing Discovery Channel of a podium finish.
Near the end of the bike race, Leif Hoste and Vladimir Gusev of Discovery and Peter van Petegem of Davitamon-Lotto passed beneath blocking railroad crossing arms as they chased Cancellera. Boonen's group had to stop at the gate as the train passed.
Race officials explained the race had been ahead of schedule, which is why it conflicted with the train. The three riders who passed beneath the gate were DQ'd, which robbed Hoste of a second place finish, which was awarded to Boonen.
More results are available at VeloNews. See also Hincapie's website.
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