US champion hopes to be fit to defend stars and stripes jersey at home
After his crash on stage 2 of the Tour of Utah last week, US champion George Hincapie (BMC Racing) is in the first phase of recovery; the 37-year-old will find out next week how well he is progressing. He had 18 stitches in a wound in his right knee after he swerved to avoid a fallen rider and his front wheel slid away on some loose gravel.
He managed to get back on his bike for a short ride on Thursday for the first time since his crash; he will have the stitches removed on Monday or Tuesday, and doctors will examine him on Wednesday.
“The pain is gone, it’s just very sore,” said the US champion. “I just need for the wound and soreness to go away before I can properly train and make a decision as to whether I can do the next races or not.”
He is currently at home in Greenville, South Carolina, the venue of next month’s US Championships race, where he hopes to defend his stars and stripes jersey.
BMC was given special dispensation to race the Tour of Utah, partly to allow local rider Jeff Louder to ride. For Hincapie, as reigning US champion, it was important to be at the race, but he expressed regret for having to abandon.
“I’m definitely disappointed I wasn’t able to finish the Tour of Utah,” he continued. “I really enjoyed doing that race. Supporting US racing is always good, so I was disappointed to leave that way.”
Hincapie has had little luck in US races this year; he also crashed in the closing stages of the first stage of the Tour of California into Sacramento, where Belgian champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step) also crashed.
Should he make the start line in Greenville on September 19th he will be hoping for better fortune.