Jens Voigt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jens Voigt

Jens 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 special yellow jersey in the Tour de France twice. This jersey shows who is leading the race. He was known for his exciting, aggressive riding style. He was also popular because he was friendly and spoke openly with fans and the media. Jens speaks German, French, and English very well.

Early Life and First Rides

Jens Voigt was born in Grevesmühlen, a town in East Germany. His parents encouraged him to play sports. This helped him use his extra energy when he was young. He showed great endurance early on. At age 14, he joined a national sports school. There, he trained in both cycling and track and field.

Jens Voigt's Cycling Career

Becoming a Professional Cyclist

Jens Voigt won the Peace Race in 1994. He was ranked number one in amateur cycling that year. After serving in the German Army, 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, GAN. He stayed with them for five years. During this time, he won 20 races. He even wore the yellow jersey for a day in the 2001 Tour de France. He also won a stage in that same Tour. Jens helped fellow German 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 (Team CSC). He teamed up with Bobby Julich. They were both good at setting a fast pace. Together, they won the LuK Challenge race in 2004 and 2005. This was a two-man time trial race.

Jens rode the 2004 Tour de France to support his team captain, Ivan Basso. Jens often joined breakaways to help his team. In one stage, he was asked to help Basso catch Jan Ullrich. Jens single-handedly closed the gap to Ullrich. The next day, he was booed by some German fans. They called him "Judas" for helping Basso against Ullrich. Jens explained he was paid by Team CSC, not Germany.

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

In 2005, Jens won the Tour Méditerranéen. He also won the first part of the 2005 Paris–Nice race. He almost won the classic race Liège–Bastogne–Liège. He was in a breakaway for most of the race. He finished second, just behind Alexander Vinokourov. In the 2005 Tour de France, Jens briefly held the yellow jersey. However, he 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 Basso win the 2006 Giro d'Italia. He finished 37th overall in the Giro. He won his first race of the season at the Ster Elektrotoer. Before the 2006 Tour de France, Basso was suspended. Carlos Sastre became the team captain. Jens took on the role of an early attacker. He won stage 13 of the Tour de France. He also helped Fränk Schleck win stage 15. Jens finished the Tour in 53rd place.

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

In 2007, Jens won stage 3 of the 2007 Tour of California. He finished second overall in that race. In April, he won the Critérium International race. He attacked with about 25 km (16 mi) to go and won solo. He also won the 2007 Deutschland Tour for the second year in a row. He said this win was harder because he was a marked man.

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 again. He also won stage 18 of the 2008 Giro d'Italia. He broke away from a group and rode solo to victory. He played a big part in his team's success at the 2008 Tour de France. He helped 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 the record held by Raymond Poulidor. He had to leave the 2009 Tour de France after a bad crash. He broke his cheekbone and had a concussion. He was out of action for six weeks.

Jens's last season with team manager Bjarne Riis was 2010. He won stage 4 of the 2010 Volta a Catalunya. He also finished fifth overall in 2010 Paris–Nice. In the 2010 Tour de France, he crashed heavily on a descent. He had to borrow a child's bike to keep riding! He rode it for about 15 km (9.3 mi) before getting a proper bike.

Later Career (2011–2014)

Voigt at the 2011 Tour de France.

Shut up legs!

—Jens Voigt's "trademark" catchphrase

The 2011 season was the first time Jens didn't win a race. He joined the new team 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 found. He recovered in time for the 2011 Tour de France. He helped his leaders, the Schleck brothers, finish second and third.

Voigt (right) at the 2012 Tour Down Under.

In 2012, Jens was the oldest rider on the World Tour teams at 40 years old. He still went on a long breakaway in 2012 Paris–Nice. He also had a good performance at the 2012 Tour of California. In August, he won stage 4 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. He attacked his breakaway companions and rode solo for over 100 km (62 mi). This was one of the most amazing wins of his career.

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 solo. Even at 41, he attacked on a tough stage of the 2013 Tour de France. He won the daily combativity award.

Jens was chosen for the Trek Factory Racing team for the 2014 Tour de France. This was his 17th time starting the Tour. This matched the record for most Tour starts. He was part of a breakaway on Stage 1. He won the combativity prize and led the king of the mountains competition. As a sign of respect, the 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. He almost won Stage 4, but the main group caught him just before the finish line. He explained that attacking was "just my nature." He liked to "make things happen" in races. After retiring, Jens became a coach for Trek Factory Racing. He aimed to become a sports director.

Life After Racing

In 2015, Jens Voigt became an official ambassador for the 2015 Tour of California. He also worked as a TV analyst and an advisor for race organizers. In June 2015, it was announced that Jens would host his own annual cycling event. It was called The Jensie Gran Fondo of Marin.

In 2017, Jens completed an "Everesting" challenge in Berlin. He climbed the Teufelsberg hill almost 100 times. This was equal to climbing Mount Everest's height. He rode 400 km (250 mi) in 26.5 hours. 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 have been doing some discrete tests in the velodrome in Roubaix prior to the Dauphiné [cycling race] and 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. It took place at the Vélodrome Suisse in Grenchen.

Jens successfully broke the record! He rode 51.11 km (31.76 mi) in one hour. This beat the old record by 1.41 km (0.88 mi). He used a special Trek bike for the attempt. Jens is the oldest rider to ever break this record. His record stood until 30 October 2014. It was then broken by Austrian cyclist Matthias Brändle.

I gave it everything in the last 20 minutes. I knew that I still had the energy, that I was ahead of the mark. I felt euphoric – it was the last 20 minutes of my sporting career.

—Jens Voigt

Personal Life

Jens Voigt and his wife Stephanie have six children. They live in Berlin, Germany. Jens has said he enjoys his family life. After his racing career, he worked as a TV presenter. He is part of the NBC Sports cycling coverage team in the US.

Career Achievements

Major Results

Grand Tour General Classification 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