Cycling in the United States has been increasing in popularity in the past few years, thanks to the phenomenal successes of American’s Lance Armstrong and George Hincapie. Their accomplishments on the international cycling scene have helped breathe new life into the sport nationally. There are many challenges to today’s young athletes that can pull them away from the challenging and complex sport of bicycle racing. We have to provide more opportunities for our aspiring cyclists in order to continue to build the USA Cycling program.

The Hincapie Barkley Development Team was created to help bridge the gap between amateur cyclists and professional bicycle racers. The Team is focused on promoting the sport of cycling through an experienced-rider mentoring program that allows U23/Junior riders to race and train with experienced Pro/Elite cyclists. The mentors will provide guidance in every aspect of the sport, including training techniques, racing strategy, nutrition and sports psychology. Riders will also be supported with some of the best racing equipment in the world, including new Giant TCR Advanced carbon fiber bicycles. The Hincapie Barkley Development Team, which is based out of Greenville, S.C., will participate in various sanctioned USA Cycling events throughout the year.

"We have promoted cycling on many levels from event promotion to race team management, and this is the next step in our support of the sport,” said Rich Hincapie, Hincapie Barkley Team Leader and president of Hincapie Sportswear. “My brother, George, and I understand how far you can go in this sport when you have quality opportunities, and we’re proud to provide support to these talented junior cyclists."

Rich and George Hincapie are both products of USA Cycling’s junior development program. The aim of the Hincapie Barkley Development Team is to provide the missing link between casual competition and racing on the elite pro level. Racers on the Hincapie Barkley Team will be groomed and managed to help them graduate from the amateur ranks into the pro peloton.

"Two-time National Champion Craig Lewis was a rider on our Hincapie Elite Team several years ago," said Rich Hincapie. "He recently signed a professional contract to ride with George on Team High Road (formerly T-Mobile), one of the most prestigious pro teams in the world. In addition to Craig’s success, our Elite Team has also developed numerous National and World Champions, so we know the program can succeed."

Several of the team’s riders have the talent to do well at the Junior and Elite National Championships, which are two of the team’s major goals for 2008. In addition, the team will compete at several national level events, as members continue to progress towards their dream of becoming professional bicycle racers.