Hincapie Racing Team in 2015
Hincapie Racing enters the 2015 professional cycling season with a fresh new look and the benefit of a team with experience in big races as well as depth of talent.
2014 was certainly a breakout year, with over 30 race wins and some very exciting close seconds in the biggest one day and multi day stage races on the calendar.
In 2015, the team retains the majority of its firepower. The one notable exception is the loss of Joey Rosskopf to the UCI WorldTour BMC team. Rosskopf broke away with BMC team leader Cadel Evans in the toughest stage of the 2014 Tour of Utah.
The stage finale saw Rosskopf pass Evans in the final kilometer, but the former World Champion and Tour de France winner ultimately bested Rosskopf to win the stage.
Apparently an impression was made by the gutsy move and BMC offered Rosskopf a contract for the 2015 season. The rough equivalence for my non-cycling South Carolina readers is a Clemson University player dunking over LeBron James, then barely losing the pickup game. Then comes the call from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Hincapie Racing team vehicles will travel through 43 states en route to races as far away as California and Alberta, Canada. One noteworthy highlight for all of us here in Greenville will happen early in the season. The 2015 USPRO Criterium Championships will be held in Greenville on April 18 and 19. A criterium race is the closest thing in sports to NASCAR racing. In a criterium, the racers compete on closed roads in a downtown setting over a number of laps. The action is always intense and visible to the crowds on our downtown city streets. Look forward to Hincapie Racing being at the front of the field at the USPRO Criterium Championships, and at races throughout North America.
Team Chiropractor
I am once again privileged to serve as the team chiropractic physician for Hincapie Racing. My goal is to serve alongside other support team members in assisting rider performance. Chiropractic is an performance enhancement preference for many athletes and has a strong presence in elite athletic venues across the globe. I’ve written before about the chiropractic presence in the NFL, and especially with the Super Bowl XLIX bound Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
It will be exciting to watch Hincapie Racing compete at the highest levels in 2015, and to know that as in other professional sports, chiropractic care had a part to play in their success.
Hincapie Development Team – What a year 2014 was!
2014 marked my first year of being the official chiropractor for the Hincapie Development Team. I’ve been involved with cycling teams as a team chiropractor with virtually all levels of cycling for over three decades. This past year has by all measures been the most exciting, enjoyable and gratifying team experience of the past 30.
The Hincapie Development team consists of a group of young aspiring cyclists who are aiming for the next level of professional cycling. The Hincapie brothers and international wealth manager Mark Holowesko have created a vehicle to help launch these young riders into the ranks of domestic and international pro teams.
Early in 2014, I had the opportunity to meet the team at a training camp arranged by team manager and former pro Thomas Craven.
It was obvious to me that there was a special “chemistry” among the team members as they joked around during the photo shoot for the website. They were obviously enjoying their camp, and there was an paternal ease about the way the way Craven managed the team.
The season began and it became obvious very quickly that these were special guys. I attended an early season race known as the Athens Twilight Criterium. Even though the team didn’t achieve the top podium position (Ty Magner was nicked at the line by .1 of a second) it was obvious that they had the firepower to maintain a level of control over the maelstrom known as Athens Twilight.
As the season progressed, the major North American stage races proved to be a showcase for the balance of talent of Hincapie Development. The names Rosskopf, Carpenter, and Magner, along with Skujins, Schmalz, Lewis, Butler and Smith all wound up atop the podium at multiple races throughout the year.
Hincapie Development Team in Velo Magazine
This past week, I received my December issue of Velo Magazine. The December issue featured luminaries from across the pantheon of international cycling. This issue was the magazine’s end of season edition to award acclaim to those it considered cyclings best and brightest.
Featured among the international field of cyclists were two very familiar faces. Joey Rosskopf was awarded the “Breakthrough Rider of the Year” accolade, and Robin Carpenter was awarded the “Best U23 (under 23 years of age) Rider” of 2014.
The good news for Joey was that his breakthrough caused the very significant BMC professional cycling team to sit up and take notice. For 2015, Joey will be riding for BMC.
2015 is almost upon us, and I look forward to what the new year will bring for Hincapie Development with the roster maintaining most of 2014’s firepower. The one domestic stage race whose invitation eluded the Hincapie Development Team for 2014 was the Amgen Tour of California, arguably one of the most prestigious races in the United States. Surely they will not fail to notice the success of the Hincapie Development Team when they send out invitations for 2015.
Best wishes in 2015 guys, I enjoyed the ride!
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Eastside Chiropractic PA (Chiropractor in Greenville SC)
3014 Wade Hampton Blvd., Taylors SC 29687
Office: 864-292-6777
Fax: 864-292-5392
Cell: 864-905-7053
