Jens Voigt is set to retire as we speak, having one final crack at a long break in some race in the Cycling backwater of the USA. Is it fair or fitting that he should go out like this, slipping out the back door with little fanfare, while others have been doing a farewell tour of all the big races, replete with fancy commemorative shoes and a song and dance? It’s probably apt that Jens is just doing what he’s always done: getting on with the job at hand and not saying too much. It’s almost like he’s been given the Golden Handshake, received his gold watch (well, another Trek), and gently herded out of the room, along with the elephant.
There’s no doubt that Jens is a hero to almost the entire cycling world; fans and contemporaries alike instantly warm to the big guy. He’s probably a great bloke to get on the beers with, keeping everyone entertained with his goofy German sense of humour (an oxymoron, I know) and regaling his enthralled audience with stories of that time he towed the peloton up the Galibier, dropping pure climbers like flies one by one. And because he’s a big, goofy, lovable German, no-one would even consider to question his morals or ethics when it comes to his role in the sport, and his considerable time in it. He’s Jens, he’s a bloody legend.
There’s always double standards applied when it comes to our Cycling heroes. Pantani: revered, matyred. Gunderson: condemned. Contador: forgiven, re-accepted. Valverde: despised. O’Grady, Rogers: well, they’re Australian, so even though they admitted/tested positive, no Aussie would ever cheat, right? They’re just lovable larrikins who got caught in the crossfire, and were unlucky or only “did it once”. Sir, your pig is fuelled and ready for take-off.
I’ve loved watching Jens going on crazy long breaks, laughed at the many soundbites he’s provided us, and he was even convinced to mouth our catchcry, although he probably had no clue as to what he was being cajoled into. He always has time for his fans, and that’s a sign of a true champion of the people. Imagine if Gunderson was a bit more humourous, if he’d cracked a few jokes instead of cracking skulls, if he’d told some part of his body to ‘shut up’ instead of telling other riders to do the same. Maybe he’d still be squeaky clean in the eyes of the fans, just like Jens.
While I respect a man who has ridden at the front of the peloton for 20 years and well into his 40s, and take inspiration from that, I can’t just sit here and digest every stock-standard quote that is rolled out. Jens came from one of the world’s most notorious doping programs in the East German system, but somehow wasn’t earmarked for the treatment. He rode professionally from 1997, the height of the EPO era, through Festina, through the Gunderson years, through the Landis/Rasmussen/Contador years. Yet he saw nothing. He rode on teams with more than a sprinkling of convicted and/or known dopers, yet he heard nothing. He rode under Directors Sportif who oversaw some of the biggest doping programs ever witnessed, yet he witnessed nothing himself. He continued to race at the same high level, and above, as the world’s best racers, well past the age when they threw in the towel, yet he wants us to believe he’s done it all on mineral water and sauerkraut.
While I love the guy, I’m not stupid, and neither are the cycling public. We don’t need to be treated like fools by every rider that ever rode in the Pro ranks, but we are, still. Even Gunderson has admitted he’d still be lying to us all, his family, children and cancer community if he hadn’t been outed. That’s the mentality of the Omérta in action. Jens is as old school as they come, and unfortunately he’s taking that mindset with him into retirement.
I wish Jens all the best, but I also wish he’d shown the same hardman qualities off the bike as he did on it, and spoken out about what he did actually see, hear and do. That would make him even more a legend.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/brettok@velominati.com/Jens/”/]
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@Rob
...until he announces Ondrej Sosenka is "coaching" him ?! I suspect Sir Bradley is sitting somewhere rolling his eyes and being a bit "sweary" this afternoon. As for Faboo, well he'll just be whinging, as usual these days.
@Mike_P had to look up Sosenka and wiki goes straight to his doping but f me methamphetamine in 2008 for a time trial! I thought Tommy Simpson disproved the efficacy of that shit.
In full disclosure, of my questionable "history", for laughs during winter roller racing I got a friend to give me (this was early 80', he was a lawyer) a little Peruvian powder and between heats I snuck off to the loo. Came out at the start of the 40 second kilo ride like I was going to break 30 seconds but by 20 to go I was just hot air.
As this was done to see if I would gain an advantage by getting something for nothing - the lesson learned was NO.
And just for the record I was never tempted to even TRY anything in open racing except caffeine and that was a short lived experiment with CocaCola syrup in a few races. A few buddies were injecting B12 and I'm sure there was other stuff going on in the level above me, the ones who were headed to the national team, but I never saw it.
As to Faboohoo and Wiggo, well they just missed their windows of immortality!
Hell, I'm rooting all the way for Jens. Whatever happened in the past, you know he'll do this clean as the dope control boys will watch ever pedal stroke and test the shit out of his samples. Again, whatever happened in the past, Voigt isn't going to rick something this ballsy on dope. I wouldn't bet against him at all. Maybe we have an extra special VSP to guess the distance like we did with Frank a couple of years back?
If Jens gets the record, sure raises the bar/puts pressure on Wiggins and Fabs doesn't it? I mean those guys would prep to the n-th degree, Jens does it as a swansong at the end of a busy season. Hell, if Obree did two attempts in two days (one incomplete, one successful) then Jens can do it. I'm stoked about this.
@wiscot +1 for the VSP idea. I think we're all going to be stoked for it and rooting for him (oops, I almost sound Murican). Like everyone else, I'm just surprised.
@wiscot
I doubt I'll have time to program the system to go for time guesses but its a great idea and I'll certainly give it my best shot!
In any case, I'm wicked stoked for this! Can't wait to see this and hopefully it ushers in a new era of Hour attempts!
@frank am I wrong but didn't @ Buck do this for your attempt? I nominate him to do it - he did such a good job!
(Big shit eatting smiley face)
@frank
As always, I'm humbled by the amount of time you and the Keepers put into this site. If time isn't in your favor, I'm sure we all understand. I'm sure we could all throw up our guesses on a fresh article and posters can keep track of who gets closest. Keep it fun and low key. (So says the guy whose VSP picks have been unadulterated shite all year!)
@Rob
I believe he did: http://www.velominati.com/racing/festum-prophetae-the-impossible-hour/
@Mike_P
http://www.trekfactoryracing.com/news/jens-voigt-targets-hour-record-september-18
Fuck yeah!
@Mike_P
The day Faboo has a crack at the hour, he'd whinge an hour is too long if he keeps on this current path he's on.