Floyd Landis, Tyler Hamilton and now George Hincapie. All of these riders worked directly with Lance Armstrong. The first two on my list admitted that they had taken performance enhancing drugs and accused Armstrong of the same. Yesterday, CBS reported that Hincapie had spoken to the grand jury and had implicated himself and Armstrong in this growing doping scandal. Hincapie replied via Twitter saying, “I can confirm to you that I have never spoke to 60 Minutes. I have no idea where they got their information.” He continued in another Twitter post, “As I’ve said in the past, I continue to be disappointed that people are talking about the past in cycling instead of the future.”

This non-denial, denial was a poorly a devised strategy that is doomed for failure. We all want to look to the future of cycling. The Amgen Tour of California has shown that riders like Andrew Talansky are truly the future of the sport. However, we can’t have the history of cycling propped up on lies. Hincapie’s statements don’t ring true with the reality that is now forming. It will be painful, but finally liberating when the truth is told.

Dooms day prophets have said that today was the end of the world. I disagree – today is the beginning of a new world for cycling. I’m not naïve to think it will be a clean sporting world, we’ll always have cheats. However, now is the time to start anew.

As a Greenville resident I know this news of George will rock the community. A friend texted me a photo of today’s Greenville News, “Report: Hincapie tells of doping.” Yes, this news about one of cycling fans’ heroes is a punch to the gut, but cycling will survive. I will still cheer great performances and pick my favorite for the day.