The Hincapie Story

My Cart - 0 Items ($0.00)
The Hincapie Story Meet the Team News & Events Frequently Asked Questions Hincapie Athletes Contact Us
1954:
Ricardo Hincapie gets his first bike.
1960:
Ricardo moves to the United States from Medellin, Colombia in search of a better life.
1979:
Ricardo’s son Rich competes in his first race, the Tuck Tape Cycling Classic.
1983:
Ricardo’s son George Hincapie begins his 30-year cycling career with a first place finish at the Skippy Peanut Butter Classic in Nutly, New Jersey.
1992:
George participates in his first Olympic games in Barcelona, Spain.
1996:
George rides in his first Tour de France with the Motorola Cycling Team.
1998:
Hincapie Sports LLC, owned by Rich, runs cycling races throughout the southeast including the South Carolina Heritage Series and the Michelin Cycling Classic, which are still held today.
1999:
Rich continues his involvement in the sport by managing the first Hincapie Cycling Team, Team Fairway Subaru.
2002:
Rich launches Hincapie Sportswear, Inc. He and partner former Italian cyclist Roby DiGiovine work out of his attic to produce custom cycling clothing for a few local teams.
2003:
Rich manages his fast-growing company full-time. Roby’s cycling connections help the small company to source fine Italian fabrics and craftsmanship and add a small selection of retail products to their current custom line.

Ricardo Hincapie’s brother, Jorge Hincapie, begins producing small runs of jerseys in Medellin, Colombia by importing fabrics from Italy and outsourcing the cutting, printing, and stitching.
2004:
Jorge forms MDA Limitada, the Colombian manufacturing facility of Hincapie Sportswear. He purchases a couple of small printing machines and hires a small staff of 3 people. His wife Mari runs the office while he supervises the plant.
2005:
The staff and machinery at MDA Limitada grows quickly to keep up with the demands for orders. The majority of the Hincapie custom line is now produced in Medellin. The name changes to C.I. Hincapie Sportswear S.A. in 2006.

George rides for Lance on the Discovery Channel Cycling Team to help him win his record-breaking 7th Tour de France.
2007:
Hincapie Sportswear S.A. purchases their own building and again their machinery and staff is doubled as they grow to fill the new workspace. The number of full-time workers has grown from 3 to 90 in just 3 short years. The entire custom line as well as part of the retail line is now manufactured at the Hincapie family-owned facility.
Today:
The Hincapie’s continue to be actively involved in the sport of cycling. The Fairway Subaru team is now the Hincapie-Coca Cola Team, and in 2008 the U23 Hincapie Barkley Development Team was founded to support young riders and to help train and mentor them to become pro riders.

In addition, Hincapie Sportswear Inc. has quickly put itself on the map as a leader in high-quality fashionable cycling apparel. With over 50 years in the cycling industry, the Hincapie’s draw from their own experiences as they work to produce only the best in cycling clothing. Rich and George carefully examine and test every garment to make sure it follows the company mantra of Style in Motion. From bib shorts to jerseys to accessory items, each piece is thoughtfully and purposely designed to carry both the level of performance George needs to compete in the world’s most elite cycling events and the stylish look that makes their clothing distinctive and unmatched. The perfect combination of Style and Motion.