Tour de France legend Jens Voigt "The children asked my wife: Is dad dying now?"
Jens Voigt talks about the Tour de France. It rolls through France again from July 5 to 27. Why is Voigt a colleague of Bugs Bunny? And as a "Dune" fan, what did he learn from the novels for his sport?
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Only one person has ridden the Tour de France more often than Jens Voigt. The Berlin rider only retired at the age of 42 after his 17th tour in 2014. Only the Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel can boast one more participation.
- The new three-week edition of the world's most famous cycling race begins on Saturday, July 5. Jens Voigt will be covering the Tour for Eurosport.
- In an interview, the 53-year-old assesses the chances of the top favorites. But Voigt also gets personal: he talks about his serious accident in 2009 and the fear that followed.
Jens Voigt, what do you expect from the Tour de France 2025?
An edition with a chance of excitement. Last year's podium, the three superstars of the Tour, will be there, healthy and in good form: Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel. I think that the three of them will be battling it out on the podium again this year.
How do you rate the track in 2025?
It's very historic and that's probably why it's been exclusively in France for a long time. We are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the finish on the Champs-Élysées, the dotted mountain jersey and also the white jersey of the best young pro. Two stages are particularly interesting in terms of originality. The first is a short, very tight mountain time trial in the Pyrenees on day 13 of the Tour.
It's only just under eleven kilometers uphill - but it's pretty steep. You would actually have to sprint all the way up there if you want to do well. It will definitely show who is really strong. Incidentally, it's also a spectacular day for spectators on site, because they can see all the favorites up close, one by one and at a - comparatively - slow pace.
And the other original stage?
That's the last stage in Paris, where this time it's three times over small cobblestones and the Montmartre hill past the famous Sacré-Cœur church. The scenario is familiar from the Olympics, but it's new to the Tour. I believe, but have no proof, that French President Macron has given the Tour organizer the last stage.
Because he was a big fan of the Olympic race, he said. Shortly after describing it as his magical Olympic moment, he said that we would see it again at the Tour. In my opinion, he surprised the route planners with that. But what can you do when the head of state makes a wish (laughs).
Does it mean that the final stage will be more exciting than before?
Absolutely. If the overall leader is two or three minutes ahead of the runner-up by then, nothing will happen. But if the lead is less than a minute, maybe only a few seconds, I think there will be attacks. The Montmartre variant will make the race more turbulent.
We know the normal pictures from the last day of the Tour, where the riders ride comfortably side by side, patting each other on the back and celebrating a bit. Only for the sprinters is there a lot at stake at the end. This scenario can now be forgotten.
The peloton rides through the relatively narrow courtyard of the Louvre two or three kilometers before the climb. Normally there is a walking pace. This time it will be stressful because everyone wants to be in a good position for the climb by then. It will be a different race on the last day.
You'll ride the first half of the Tour de France on a bike again. Then you'll switch to the TV studio as an expert. What is it like to commentate on a motorcycle?
You experience the race from a special perspective. The American colleagues from NBC have a colleague with them who spends the entire three weeks on a motorcycle. My channel Eurosport broadcasts in 70 to 80 countries. Eurosport belongs to Warner Bros., which makes me a colleague of Bugs Bunny. I think that's pretty good (laughs). I speak English on the bike and try to get my impressions out to many countries around the world. That's my job, so to speak.
Do you see more on the motorcycle?
Of course, you can decide for yourself where to ride in the field, where it's exciting. Otherwise you have to rely on the images provided by the Tour. As an ex-professional, I can see details up close that others don't notice: what a team might be planning, who looks good or less good and for what reason. Things like that.
Are you sometimes scared on the bike? How well do you know your rider?
I started working on the bike in 2020. Back then, I had an ex-rider from the French presidential guard. He could probably have even operated a pistol while driving. Not that I needed that - but the guy was great and extremely fit.
They have to retire at 40 or 45 with the president, we benefited from that. Now I have another driver who I trust completely. He is Corsican and we regularly realize that we enjoy our lives immensely. We behave accordingly on the road.
But do you ever get into dangerous situations?
Personally, I haven't yet, but in every race I see at least one colleague in a tight spot. The year before last, a French colleague's bike skidded off in a bend. The rider was fit again relatively quickly. The cameraman, however, who is usually still on the bike, had to spend two months in rehab with his back.
This job is not without its dangers. When a rider goes into a bend at 100 km/h on a wet road, you have to ride on the back and believe in the laws of physics, even if it feels wrong. On the other hand, you have to keep up with the field or make sure that you don't hinder the riders coming behind you.
You used to be a fierce, even daredevil rider yourself. Were you ever afraid on the bike?
My biggest fear was the pressure. It was the fear of failing, of letting the team down. I was told: "Jens, we're counting on you. We need you in the leading group for the rest of the tactics." Then I knew: now is the time, I can't fail.
The favorites for the overall victory or potential jersey winners depended on me. Ultimately, millions of euros were at stake. Money that was used to pay good friends and many employees in the team. I think my biggest fear was always not being able to meet the requirements.
Did you ever fear for your life on the track?
I had a serious crash on the descent of the Little St. Bernard in 2009. Back then, the rescue helicopter came and I think a commentator on TV even said that Jens Voigt had a 50 percent chance of living to see the next morning. The children saw this on TV and asked my wife: "Is dad going to die now?".
Of course I didn't die. But after that, my comfort zone ended at 60 or 70. When I had to cope with descents of 80 to 100 kilometers per hour after this experience, I felt very, very uncomfortable. You retain something from such events.
Do you have to be fearless to become a great champion in cycling?
I'm a big fan of the "Dune" novels by Frank Herbert. One of the statements in it is that fear kills consciousness. It's actually true and also applies to professional cycling. When you're scared, you sit stiffly on your bike. You brake at the wrong moment, take the wrong line or look at the wrong point on the bend. You make mistakes because you are afraid.
Fear in sport makes you lose control. Not completely, but enough to make it even more dangerous for you. The goal of a top athlete must be to turn fear into respect. There is nothing reprehensible about being afraid. But you have to be able to transform it into respect. Only then can you reach your performance limit. I think that's exactly what great champions can do.