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.
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No question in my mind that he doped, and I admit to being hypocritical about it - shake my head at guys like Lance/Rasmussen/Alberto/etc., but go on loving Jensie. Certainly a lot of it has to do with his personality. Being a nice guy can get you pretty far. But I think some of it also has to do with the sheer outlandish-ness of his riding and the fact that, while it makes for compelling viewing, it rarely results in wins (at least these days). Guys who aren't taking wins away from others via pharmaceutical means seem to have an easier go of it with fans and other riders alike.
I wasn't expecting this article to be what it is. Jens gets a big ol' :-/ from me.
I'm glad someone said it. I enjoy watching/listening to Jens as much as anyone, but I find it ridiculous that he's been elevated to the level he has without the questioning that's come of other riders of his generation.
@Nosyt
Well put.
True, true. Fair and balanced, article and comments, both.
And yet ...
... and yet ...
............. *sob*
Big sport thrives on the Jens' brand of mythology. Fans get a bigger kick from suspending disbelief and constructing outrageous heroes and legends. Proper examination of the hard facts only ruins the fun.
Jens has unashamedly bought into, and cashed in on his own myth. I guess he learned from his buddy Stu that coming clean really means being permanantly muddied. His farewell solo escapades have been just a little bit sad. For me.
Exhibit A (I don't know how to cut down the clip)
Post stage interviews - Brad McGee and Jens Voigt - TdF Stage 16, 2001 (cut up to the 20 miute mark).
All well said. It seems I rely heavily on the delusion of my own abilities and those of my heroes. When the reality of either sets in, I sigh heavily in resignation - as now. Then I plan my next big ride and watch a race filled with impossible feats for inspiration. And the delusion resumes.
@Calmante
Welcome back, my friend!
WOW... Man I'm showing how little I know about history and how naive I am about this kinda thing... ol' Jensie I've come to think of as one cool cat and quite a lot of fun to watch race. And it never crossed my mind to think of him in this light. I don't know, maybe all of the sh** associated with the doping and such just doesn't confront me and leave me questioning everything.
Honestly, my intro to it all was as a fan of baseball not cycling. And think about this: Cal Ripkin played 2,600+ straight games and right in to what I guess was the heart of the steroids and HGH scene. Just maybe, a little maybe, is it possible, that he may have had a little cream rubbed on a sore back or something like that during the streak? So while Clemons, McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, Pameiro, and whoever else w/accomplishments all get associated with it... Cal gets a pass? He's certainly never spoke out about what he did or did not know. Any different than Jens in this instance?
I've never attached the Iron Man to any of the BS, and flat out loved to watch him and the O's play at Camden Yards when I was living in B'more, and same with Jens. Heck, a case might even be made of exactly the opposite! That their non-use of PEDs or whatever else provided them with longevity in their sports and their bodies not breaking down.
I don't care one way or the other. I still like Jens Despite all of the innuendo. He comes across an extremely likable guy that just happens to be a true hard man as well. I don't believe that he has any obligation to talk about what he may or may not have seen. Looking backwards serves nonreal purpose. My opinion has always been that cycling needed to deal with the issue of doping by drawing a line in the sand and instituting measures with some real teeth in them from that point forward. You simply cannot unwind the clock...
I prefer being naïve. Of course everyone has a right to his/her opinion, but to denigrate Jensie's career and character simply based on the fact that part of his career overlapped the time when most of them were doping isn't fair in my mind. I wouldn't exactly call him a superstar, so if he was doping, he should have gone to a better doctor/dealer. What is the point of disparaging him now? He appears to be a great family man and is definitely a funny, nice guy.