TdF 2013: Jens Voigt on getting to Paris unscathed

AdrianStuart
AdrianStuart Posts: 140
edited June 2013 in Pro race
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/22931755

Great article, one of sports hardest workers!

Comments

  • RoadPainter
    RoadPainter Posts: 375
    Usual BBC populist cycling story

    The bit about him riding a child's bike - what rubbish!
    Born one day apart from Armstrong - how's that relevant?

    Jens is a great character but as far as I'm aware he still hasn't managed to explain why he performed at similar level against the dopers as he does against a much cleaner peleton. But at least his family & friends believe him and his character manages to keep most fans from asking Qs.
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    Clearly it's because he used drugs. It really doesn't take the brains of an Archbishop to work that out does it?
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    RoadPainter wrote:
    The bit about him riding a child's bike - what rubbish!
    This is it.
    21lede_jens-custom1.jpg
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    That looks like one of the Mavic neutral service bikes.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    That looks like one of the Mavic neutral service bikes.

    It was a Mavic service bike. It just happened to be in a small size. When Jens says a "child's bike", he means almost child sized. The interviewer who probably knows very little about cycling took it literally.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    Some children are quite tall.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • skylla
    skylla Posts: 758
    It was indeed a service bike, but from an official support car that services some of the kids (teenagers?) that follow the race by bike. Here's more on the story:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiNrMy0nxWw
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,695
    RoadPainter wrote:
    Usual BBC populist cycling story

    The bit about him riding a child's bike - what rubbish!
    Born one day apart from Armstrong - how's that relevant?

    Jens is a great character but as far as I'm aware he still hasn't managed to explain why he performed at similar level against the dopers as he does against a much cleaner peloton. But at least his family & friends believe him and his character manages to keep most fans from asking Qs.

    May I suggest you have more of an underlying problem with the BBC than any particular article
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    skylla wrote:
    It was indeed a service bike, but from an official support car that services some of the kids (teenagers?) that follow the race by bike. Here's more on the story:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiNrMy0nxWw

    When did the last neutral service bike in the Tour had clips and straps?
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    When did the last neutral service bike in the Tour had clips and straps?
    I think they all have them as riders have different shoes/cleats but the old pedals can be used by all.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    Other than Jens, when was the last time a rider actually used a neutral service bike? I always assumed they were just there for show, they rarely even take a wheel from neutral service.
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • RoadPainter
    RoadPainter Posts: 375
    ddraver wrote:
    RoadPainter wrote:
    Usual BBC populist cycling story

    The bit about him riding a child's bike - what rubbish!
    Born one day apart from Armstrong - how's that relevant?

    Jens is a great character but as far as I'm aware he still hasn't managed to explain why he performed at similar level against the dopers as he does against a much cleaner peloton. But at least his family & friends believe him and his character manages to keep most fans from asking Qs.

    May I suggest you have more of an underlying problem with the BBC than any particular article
    I get a bit frustrated by reporters with inadequate knowledge of their subject, but no underlying problem with the BBC - who are pretty good at most things and are unlikely to disappear behind a pay-wall :-)
  • salsiccia1
    salsiccia1 Posts: 3,725
    RichN95 wrote:
    Salsiccia1 wrote:
    When did the last neutral service bike in the Tour had clips and straps?
    I think they all have them as riders have different shoes/cleats but the old pedals can be used by all.

    Well, I never did

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/photos/tour-tech-more-tidbits-from-the-tour-de-france/130591

    *doffs cap*
    It's only a bit of sport, Mun. Relax and enjoy the racing.
  • goonz
    goonz Posts: 3,106
    It would make sense to have toe clips as all riders pedals would be different.

    He must have doped to be able to contest the dopers and now be contesting the clean riders. Otherwise had he been clean back then he would trump everyone nowadays.
    Scott Speedster S20 Roadie for Speed
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  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    goonz wrote:
    It would make sense to have toe clips as all riders pedals would be different.

    He must have doped to be able to contest the dopers and now be contesting the clean riders. Otherwise had he been clean back then he would trump everyone nowadays.
    Why would you expect a 40 year old to trump anyone at any time?
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    RichN95 wrote:
    goonz wrote:
    It would make sense to have toe clips as all riders pedals would be different.

    He must have doped to be able to contest the dopers and now be contesting the clean riders. Otherwise had he been clean back then he would trump everyone nowadays.
    Why would you expect a 40 year old to trump anyone at any time?
    you wouldn't. he rides tempo and rides hard. even at 40-41 he still has a good engine, though i'm pretty sure he followed the trends of the late 90's/ early 2000s otherwise he simply wouldn't have been able to keep up.
  • ContrelaMontre
    ContrelaMontre Posts: 3,027
    philbar72 wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    goonz wrote:
    It would make sense to have toe clips as all riders pedals would be different.

    He must have doped to be able to contest the dopers and now be contesting the clean riders. Otherwise had he been clean back then he would trump everyone nowadays.
    Why would you expect a 40 year old to trump anyone at any time?
    you wouldn't. he rides tempo and rides hard. even at 40-41 he still has a good engine, though i'm pretty sure he followed the trends of the late 90's/ early 2000s otherwise he simply wouldn't have been able to keep up.

    Brad McGee was able to keep up. Whilst I'm sceptical of any highly ranked GC rider from that period, there must've been plenty of lesser riders who didn't dope. Jensie hasn't really done anything to make him appear particularly dope-fuelled has he? I've said it before, but doesn't the fact that he is still able to perform at such a decent level at his age show that he has got a good engine and perhaps that the peloton is cleaner? He turned pro in '98 fwiw...
    Rule No.10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster
  • B3rnieMac
    B3rnieMac Posts: 384
    I hate the fact that Jens is so nice. I'm a horrible person so his niceness seems false to me for some reason. and any time I read his stupid super nice tweets, I have a very exaggerated version of his voice reading them in my head. I get so wound up by him lol :lol:
  • oneof1982
    oneof1982 Posts: 703
    Voigt on the "child's bike legend":

    "Rescue came through one of the special events that accompany the race. "I think there is this children's program where they do part of the Tour de France stages. One of those cars came by and they gave me one of their bikes." The bike was painted yellow and equipped with good old fashioned toe clips. "It was way too small for me, it didn't fit with my pedal system and it didn't really work the way I wanted it to work," Voigt said. "But it was something to move and I took the chance," Voigt added, happy that he was able to continue the race."

    Read more: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/4977/ ... z2XX3MvEap
  • k-dog
    k-dog Posts: 1,652
    As much as I want to I'm still not sure about Jens in those bad years - but a big positive in his favour is that he always had good days and bad days - like you'd expect after a hard effort. The guys doing great rides day after day are much more suspicious - and many have been busted.
    I'm left handed, if that matters.

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