Busche beats Hincapie to win USA Cycling road race

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, May 31, 2011

GREENVILLE, S.C. — When Matthew Busche outsprinted hometown favorite George Hincapie at the line Monday to win the USC Cycling pro road race, it brought a rousing end to the national championships.

“It was a great weekend for USA Cycling,” said Steve Johnson, the organization’s CEO.

And it was a much needed one after last week when riders at the Tour of California spent as much time answering questions of cycling’s dark side as about the race.

That was because of a “60 Minutes” report in which Lance Armstrong’s former teammate Tyler Hamilton said he saw Armstrong use performance-enhancing drugs. The CBS program also said Hincapie, Armstrong’s close friend and ex-teammate, told federal authorities he and Armstrong supplied each other with performance-enhancers and discussed them.

Armstrong has denied Hamilton’s claims and Hincapie said in a statement he did not talk with “60 Minutes.”

This weekend, though, the focus was on the country’s best cyclists and a dramatic photo finish to decide a national championship.

Busche and Hincapie were part of a four-man breakaway with Ted King and Tejay Van Garderen that stayed in synch until the final moments of the 115-mile race. Hincapie edged forward and seemed a few strides from his fourth road race title when the 26-year-old Busche caught him at the line in a virtual dead heat.

Thousands of people at the finish awaited word on a winner, most hoping to cheer Hincapie, who lives and trains in Greenville. Busche, who finished third behind Dave Zabriskie in Saturday’s time trial championship, wasn’t sure if he should celebrate or congratulate his rival.

Photos, though, showed Busche on top by the width of a tire as he took the stars-and-stripes jersey for the next year.

“I don’t know when this ever sinks in,” Busche said.

Busche played over the endgame scenarios in his mind those final miles. Hincapie is one of the best closers in cycling, a Tour de France stage winner who’s been a teammate to eight Tour victories — seven of them by Armstrong.

“It’s hard to go to the line with George,” Busche said. “But I felt like I had my legs.”

Hincapie thought he made his move at exactly the right time and was a bit surprised when Busche fought back. Hincapie was also bothered by a leg cramp down the stretch. “I gave everything I possibly had,” he said.

King was third and Van Garderen fourth.