Will LA give Hincapie the yellow?

musette

With USPS exerting control over the top GC places, would LA permit the team to allow Hincapie to try for intermediate sprints/the final sprint, and get team support that would otherwise be a waste of energy in terms of LA ending up in yellow? I think so, even though this is highly uncharacteristic of USPS.

Hincapie and Eki will attack, and will try and gain ground on the peloton. Meanwhile, LA will sit back and nobody on USPS will work. LA's friends (Tyler Hamilton, for this purpose, etc. will also not help the chase of Hincapie). LA will indirectly get other teams to understand that, should they get in his way, they will be remembered for their transgressions in the peloton over time. Some teams will let Hincapie do this, as he is not a GC threat.

Landis shouldn't go with Hincapie, as Landis is a more credible mountain rider and would provote greater response.

In two or three days, there is a not inconceivable outcome that Hincapie will have gotten enough sprint bonuses to don yellow. Difficult to do in a bunch sprint. So Hincapie will have to go out on his own with Eki/Azevedo and others, and get the intermediates sprint bonuses, instead of stage wins. LA might tolerate this, because the first mountains are still some time away and his Posties could rest after getting Hincapie just one day in the yellow jersey.

birdman23

I highly doubt this. Postal has one purpose and that is Yellow in Paris. Sending George out, even for a day, could cost him valuable energy he will need during the final week. Just my opinion.

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musette

That would be my read, birdman, under every USPS philosophy I know. But Hincapie is only 10 sec behind Lance.

patch70

There are also a lot of very good sprinters chasing points who might have something to say about this plan.

luke1972

McEwen etc will not let him ride off the front to claim sprint bonuses.