Tour de France 2009: Columbia-HTC Corner: George Hincapie Hurt, But Going Forward

Columbia-HTC Corner: Hurt, But Moving Ahead

They said this was going to be the hardest week of the 2009 Tour de France, and it really has been. There hasn't been a day where there hasn't been an attack from kilometer zero.

In addition, I had bad break on stage 17 into Grand Bornand when I crashed and hurt my right shoulder. I made the breakaway and was having a really good day. I just felt great. But then I crashed on this wet descent right before the feed zone and hurt my collarbone. After that I just suffered the rest of the day.

Despite my injury, I think I'll be able to make it to Paris. It's funny because it really hurts with everyday movements like taking a shirt on and off, but on a bike it seems pretty stable, so that's good, and it should be fine in the next couple of days.

Despite hardships, I'm having a good Tour and I'm actually in 20th place. I've had some bad luck and some issues in this race, but I'm happy with the way I'm riding. I think I am riding as good as ever.

The team has done awesome. The only place we didn't do very well was in the Alps. We may have spent too much energy in the first two weeks. Tony Martin feeling pretty tired, but he's young. He's been flying since training camp in January so it's normal that he'd be tired now. Don't forget his name--you'll be hearing it more in the future.

With that said, we've won five stages, including today's 19th stage, and I'm sure we will give it all we got to help Cavendish win on the Champs Elysees. But first we have to get over Mont Ventoux, the hardest climb in France.