George Hincapie waves in front of the podium as he stands with his daughter, Julia Paris, after winning the USA Cycling Pro Road Race Championship on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009, in Greenville, S.C. At rear are second-place Andrew Bajadali, right, and third-place Jeff Louder. (AP Photo/The Greenville News, Owen Riley Jr.)

‘Big George’ HIncapie earned his third USA Professional Road Race championship Sunday in Greenville, S.C. by outkicking two other survivors of an eight-man break. Hincapie completed the race in 4 hours, 33 minutes and 36 seconds, powering through to the finish with a raised-arm celebration before cheering fans in his adopted hometown.

Along with Andrew Bajadali (second) of Kelley Benefit Strategies, Hincapie caught BMC racing team’s Jeff Louder who attacked the duo in the final lap. Louder held on to finish third. Bajadali finished in 4:33:37. Louder finished in 4:33:39.

The first part of the 187 kilometer race was marked by mid-80s temperatures, sunny skies and 90-percent humdity. Riders took the start line with ice packs in their jerseys to combat the heat.

With his third road championship win (1999, 2006),  Hincapie, earns the right to take the Tour of Missouri start line Sept. 7 in St. Louis wearing a red, white, and blue stars-and-stripes version of the Columbia-HTC kit. Hincapie won the 2007 edition of the Tour of Missouri riding for Team Discovery Channel in 2007.

The defending U.S. champion gets to show off the national colors for one year. But with the announcement of new contract signings starting tomorrow, interest in whether Hincapie will remain at Columbia-HTC, join old buddy Lance Armstrong at the new Radio Shack team or join Team BMC is high.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.