Jens Voigt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jens Voigt

Voigt at the 2018–2019 UCI Track World Cup in Berlin
Personal information
Full name	Jens Voigt
Born	(1971-09-17) 17 September 1971 (age 53) Grevesmühlen, East Germany
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	77 kg (170 lb; 12 st 2 lb)
Team information
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Breakaway specialist Rouleur
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France 2 individual stages (2001, 2006) 1 TTT (2001) Giro d'Italia 1 individual stage (2008) Stage races Tour de Pologne (2008) Critérium International (1999, 2004, 2007–2009) Deutschland Tour (2006, 2007) Bayern Rundfahrt (2000, 2001, 2004) Tour Méditerranéen (2005) One-day races and Classics Grand Prix des Nations (2001) Paris–Bourges (2003) Duo Normand (1999, 2001) World Hour record 18 September 2014, 51.11 km (31.76 mi)

Jens Voigt (born 17 September 1971) is a famous German former professional road bicycle racer. After he stopped racing, he became a sports commentator for cycling events. During his career, Jens raced for several teams. His last team was Trek Factory Racing.

Jens Voigt wore the yellow jersey in the Tour de France twice. This jersey is given to the overall leader of the race. He was known for his aggressive riding style. He also spoke French and English very well, in addition to his native German.

Jens Voigt's Early Life

Jens Voigt was born in Grevesmühlen, a town in East Germany. This area is about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of Hamburg. His parents encouraged him to play sports. Jens had a lot of energy when he was young.

When he was 14, he joined a special sports school. There, he trained in both cycling and track and field. This training helped him become a strong endurance athlete.

Jens Voigt's Cycling Career

Starting as a Professional Cyclist

Jens Voigt won the Peace Race in 1994. He was also ranked very high in amateur cycling worldwide. After serving in the German Army for four years, he became a professional cyclist in 1997. He started winning races for the Australian team ZVVZ-Giant-Australian Institute of Sport.

In 1998, Jens joined a big French team called GAN. He stayed with this team for five years. During this time, he won 20 races. This included wearing the yellow jersey for a day in the 2001 Tour de France. He also won a stage in that same Tour. Jens helped his German teammate Jan Ullrich win a gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games.

Racing with Team CSC (2004–2010)

In 2004, Jens Voigt moved to Team CSC, joining his former teammate Bobby Julich. They were both strong in time trials. They worked well together in races like the LuK Challenge.

Jens rode the 2004 Tour de France to support his team captain, Ivan Basso. Jens was often in breakaways, which means he rode ahead of the main group of cyclists. On one stage, he was asked to drop back and help Basso. Jens was criticized by some German fans for helping Basso instead of fellow German rider Jan Ullrich. Jens explained that he was paid by Team CSC, not by Germany.

In 2005, Jens won the Tour Méditerranéen. He also won the first part of the 2005 Paris–Nice race, which was a time trial. He almost won the 2005 Liège–Bastogne–Liège classic race. He was in a breakaway for most of the race but was just beaten at the finish line.

Voigt (front) at the 2005 Tour de France; he held the overall lead of the race for one day, after the ninth stage.

In the 2005 Tour de France, Jens tried hard to take the overall lead. He got into a breakaway on stage 9 and finished third. This put him in the yellow jersey for one day. However, he later got a fever and had to leave the race.

Voigt at the 2006 Ster Elektrotoer; he held the race lead after the second stage, before finishing tenth overall.

In 2006, Jens focused on helping his teammate Ivan Basso in the 2006 Giro d'Italia. Team CSC won the team time trial on stage 5. Jens helped Basso take the overall lead in the mountains. Jens also won his first race of the season at the Ster Elektrotoer in June.

Voigt at the 2006 Deutschland Tour, wearing the leader's jersey.

Before the 2006 Tour de France, Ivan Basso was suspended. Carlos Sastre became the new team captain. Jens took on the role of an early attacker. On stage 13, Jens was part of a five-man breakaway that finished almost 30 minutes ahead of the main group. Jens won the sprint at the end, taking his second Tour stage victory. He helped Sastre finish fourth overall.

In 2007, Jens won stage 3 of the 2007 Tour of California. He attacked near the end and won the sprint. He finished second overall in the race. In April, he won the Critérium International for the third time. He attacked alone and finished far ahead of other riders. He also won the 2007 Deutschland Tour for the second year in a row.

Voigt at the 2008 Tour of California; he competed in the race despite an accident during training the week before the race.

Jens started 2008 by winning the Critérium International for the fourth time. He also won stage 18 of the 2008 Giro d'Italia. He broke away from a group and rode alone for 36 km (22 mi) to win. Jens played a big part in his team's success at the 2008 Tour de France. He helped his team leader, Carlos Sastre, win the Tour. Jens also won the Tour of Poland.

In 2009, Jens won the Critérium International for the fifth time. This tied a record set by Raymond Poulidor. He had a bad crash on stage 16 of the 2009 Tour de France. He broke his cheekbone and had a concussion. He had to miss several races to recover.

In 2010, Jens won stage 4 of the 2010 Volta a Catalunya. He escaped from the main group and won a sprint against another rider. He also finished fifth overall in 2010 Paris–Nice. In the 2010 Tour de France, Jens crashed heavily on a mountain descent. His bike was destroyed. He borrowed a child's bike for about 15 km (9.3 mi) before getting a new one from his team.

Later Career (2011–2014)

Voigt at the 2011 Tour de France.

In 2011, Jens joined a new team called Leopard Trek. He helped his teammate Fränk Schleck win the Critérium International. In May, he broke a bone in his hand during the 2011 Tour of California. He rode a whole stage with the injury before it was discovered. He recovered in time for the 2011 Tour de France. He helped his team leaders, the Schleck brothers, finish second and third.

Voigt (right) at the 2012 Tour Down Under.

In 2012, Jens Voigt was 40 years old, making him the oldest rider in the World Tour teams. He still went on long breakaways. He finished second in a stage of 2012 Paris–Nice. He also had a strong performance in the 2012 Tour of California. In the 2012 Tour de France, he finished third in stage 10. In August, he announced he would keep racing through 2013. He won stage 4 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. He attacked early and rode alone for over 100 km (62 mi) to win. This was one of his most memorable victories.

Voigt being interviewed at the 2013 People's Choice Classic

In May 2013, at the 2013 Tour of California, Jens helped split the main group of riders. He then attacked with 5 km (3.1 mi) to go and won the stage alone. Even at 41, he attacked on a tough stage of the 2013 Tour de France. He won the daily combativity award for his effort.

Jens was chosen for the Trek Factory Racing team for the 2014 Tour de France. This was his 17th time starting the Tour, matching a record. He was part of a breakaway on Stage 1 and won the combativity prize. He also led the king of the mountains competition for a short time. As a sign of respect, other riders let Jens ride at the front on the final lap in Paris.

Jens announced that the 2014 USA Pro Cycling Challenge would be his last race as a professional. He almost won stage 4 of that race. He was caught by the main group with only 900 meters left. After his career, Jens became a coach for Trek Factory Racing.

Life After Racing

In February 2015, Jens Voigt became an official ambassador for the 2015 Tour of California. He also worked as a television analyst and adviser for race organizers.

In June 2015, it was announced that Jens would host an annual cycling event called The Jensie Gran Fondo of Marin.

In January 2017, Jens completed an Everesting challenge in Berlin. This means he climbed the same hill repeatedly until the total elevation gain was equal to Mount Everest's height. He rode almost 100 laps of a 90 metres (300 ft) climb. He rode 400 km (250 mi) in 26.5 hours, climbing 29,527 feet (9,000 m). He did this in cold, snowy weather. He raised over €29,000 for a charity called Tour de Cure.

Setting the Hour Record

Jens Voigt during the hour record attempt

Detail of Voigt's custom Trek track bike used for the record

It's a huge challenge for me, both physical and mental. [...] We believe that I have a fair chance.

—Jens Voigt

On 3 September 2014, Jens Voigt announced he would try to break the UCI hour record. This record is for the longest distance cycled in one hour. The previous record was 49.7 km (30.9 mi). Jens's attempt happened on 18 September 2014, the day after his 43rd birthday. He trained to improve his position on the bike for better aerodynamics.

The record attempt was a success! Jens rode 51.11 km (31.76 mi) in one hour. He beat the old record by 1.41 km (0.88 mi). He used a special bike for the attempt. Jens is the oldest rider to ever break this record. His record was later broken by another cyclist on 30 October 2014.

Jens Voigt's Views on Fair Play

Jens Voigt always said he was against cheating in sports. He never tested positive for any banned substances during his career. He wrote about his experiences, saying he "just never doped." He felt it was important for his children to see him as an honest athlete.

Jens Voigt's Family Life

Jens Voigt and his wife, Stephanie, have six children. They live in Berlin, Germany. After his racing career, Jens worked as a TV presenter in Germany and the US. He was part of the NBC Sports cycling coverage team. He also works as an analyst for German Eurosport. Since 2021, Jens has co-hosted a podcast with his former teammate Bobby Julich.

Jens Voigt's Career Highlights

Major Wins

Grand Tour Results

Grand Tour	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
Giro d'Italia	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	37	—	53	48	—	—	—	—	—
Tour de France	83	60	60	46	110	DNF	35	DNF	53	28	37	DNF	126	67	52	67	108
Vuelta a España	Did not contest during his career

World Records

See also

In Spanish: Jens Voigt para niños