Hincapie Development Cycling Team


The 2014 Hincapie Development Cycling Team are a group of young, rising star cyclists who are being groomed for future success by the great structure of the Hincapie team and director Thomas Craven.
Their past 5 days in California have illustrated just how powerful and balanced this Greenville based team really are!

Redlands Bicycle Classic

The Redlands Bicycle Classic is the longest continuous running stage race in American bike racing history. Since 1985, the race has hosted future stars of the Olympics, Tour de France and World Championships. This year, the Hincapie Development Team was represented at Redlands by Oscar Clark, Joe Lewis, Ty Magner, Alexander Ray, Joey Rosskopf, Joe Schmalz, Toms Skujins and Dion Smith.

Dion, Ty and Joey, Remember These Names…

The team wasted no time making an impression. The first day of racing was won by Dion Smith in an exciting uphill finish with a perfect lead-out by team members. Ty Magner added even more Hincapie fireworks by finishing 2nd in a sprint finish on stage 3, and Joey Rosskopf won the final stage of the Redlands Classic today, along with the general classification win by finishing the 5 days of racing with the quickest overall time.

Team Chiropractor

It is my great privilege to serve as the Hincapie Development Team chiropractor for 2013-14. Working with elite and professional cyclists for the past 23 years has been a memorable experience, but there is something special about working with a group of young cyclists who are on the cusp of greatness. My duties with the team involve using my chiropractic skills to optimize the team member’s power output, and help handle minor nagging musculo-skeletal injuries. I am paired with Dr. Rick Morgan from GHS’s Steadman Hawkins Sports Medicine group.  Dr. Morgan is especially qualified to manage any and all significant sports injuries which may occur during the long cycling season.
I look forward to watching the Hincapie Development Team achieve great things this year, and would encourage my blog readers to follow their progress!

Hincapie Racing Team Toms Skujins Wins

Something grand and unexpected happened today. A member of the Hincapie Racing Team won a staggeringly difficult stage 3 of the biggest week long race in the North American professional cycling calendar. The win today came with a large enough time gap to cause Toms Skujins to also become the leading rider of the stage race; the wearer of the coveted Amgen Tour of California leader’s yellow jersey.

Hincapie Racing Team and Amgen Tour of California

The Hincapie Racing Team received its first invitation to race in the Amgen Tour of California this year. The race rewards invitations to the very best professional teams from around the world, as well as to teams which the raceorganizers considered as “up and coming”. The invitation to race in the Amgen Tour of California could have been enough of an accolade for the Hincapie Racing Team, and if the young team could snag a podium placing before the end of the week? Well, we could all hold out hope!
In yesterday’s stage 2, Skujins’ team mate Robin Carpenter foreshadowed the potential of the Hincapie Racing Team by winning the “King of the Mountain” and “Best Young Rider” jerseys in a very fast flat race won by a very famous Brit cyclist named Mark Cavendish. This same Mark Cavendish had already won nine races in 2015. This same Mark Cavendish was the yellow jersey leader of the race. The difficulty of stage 3 can be illustrated by one fact; Mark Cavendish finished over 20 minutes behind Toms Skujins today.
The opportunity for young riders like Toms Skujins and Robin Carpenter to gain international attention for their sponsors and team are rare. The battles which occur over thousands of miles of roads in races small and large are won by a scant few who are considered the “stars” of cycling. Welcome to the new night sky, star Toms Skujins! Thanks also to all who lend a helping hand to the riders of the Hincapie Racing Team. From the sponsors who contribute many thousands of dollars and equipment, to the families who allow team members to become house guests in race towns across America. You are helping the next generation of cyclists achieve their goals and dreams.
The author of this blog Dr David Mruz is the team chiropractor for the Hincapie Racing Team.

Greenville’s Chris Butler: Pro Cycling’s Next Generation

I’ve been a cycling benefactor and sponsor for over 20 years, and one of the great pleasures I’ve had through this experience has been assisting and participating in the care and development of two generations of professional cyclists. I can remember when George Hincapie was the young phenom coming off of great success with the G.S. Mengoni amateur team and was recruited to join the fledgling United States National team.

In 1992, at 18 years of age, George took off on long solo breakaway in Stage 6 of the Tour DuPont, racing against seasoned European and domestic professionals and becoming an instant national favorite. Through all the years and subsequent teams and successes, I’ve been privileged to work with George.
Another pro cyclist with deep Greenville roots is hoping to make just such a mark on the national psyche in the 2014 cycling season as a new member of the Hincapie Development Cycling Team. Chris Butler was only 4 years old when Hincapie made his mark, but he has established himself in the pro ranks as an excellent climbing specialist and was even a teammate with George on the BMC Cycling team. The 2013 USPRO Championship Road Race featured Chris at the very front of the race as it ascended Chattanooga’s Lookout Mountain.

Chris has counted on check-ups at our office to help keep him at his peak levels of performance. Cycling is a sport of miles of extreme effort, but the results can be decided by inches and mere seconds of time. Professional cyclists seek out every legal advantage to gain the tipping point that can make or break a race result, and chiropractic check-ups are a large part of the peak performance armamentarium of the pros. I am excited to be a sponsor for Chris, and look forward to helping him achieve the best of results for many years to come.
Good luck Chris and best wishes—we’ll be watching!

Photos courtesy of cyclingtorrents.nl and Team Champion System.

George Hincapie on Fox and Friends

Greenville’s very own George Hincapie gained national exposure on the Fox cable network today. It was wonderful to see George Hincapie on Fox and Friends this morning. The occasion of his appearance was to promote the release of his book George Hincapie The Loyal Lieutenant. The book arrives at a time in the sport when a new generation of cyclists has come of age refusing to be stigmatized by the use of performance enhancing drugs. Ever since the story broke about Lance Armstrong and the team’s use of performance enhancing drugs, I’ve always wanted to hear from George about how it all happened. Discretion always trumped my curiosity when talking to George. Truth is, George really didn’t have to write this. For all of us fans, I’m glad he did. His humility, work ethic, and family values shine through from the pages of this book.
Working as a chiropractic physician for the young talents George has brought on board his Hincapie Development Team has given me great hope for the future of the sport which I enjoy.

New Revelations

George offers details in The Loyal Lieutenant which many fans (of which I am one) will find as new revelations about the personalities and performances of his years at the top of the sport. If you missed it, you can watch the Fox and Friends segment on the link below:

George Hincapie on Fox and Friends

In The Public Eye

Every person who becomes a public figure will never have unanimous support and acclaim. For every raving fan of the Boston Red Sox, there is an unimpressed fan of the New York Yankees. For those who know and love George, this book will further solidify their respect and confidence in him as an ambassador for the sport of cycling. For those who choose to throw stones, ask yourself candidly whether you are proud of every private decision you’ve made in life, and what friends, family, and others would think if they only knew.
Best wishes George, and thanks for the memories! Let’s make many more for the future!