Never give up

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Never give up

Thursday, 11 October 2018 | Saimi Sattar

Never give up

While cyclist Jens Voigt has won many races in his career, it is his innate humaneness that shines through, says Saimi Sattar

The best day when I was most proud of myself was during the race called Paris-Nice 2005 where I helped a very close friend, Bobby Julich, win it. He had sacrificed to help me in the past and I thought that this was the moment that I could pay back. When he was standing on the podium and his wife and children were happy, it was the most rewarding day of my life. I’ve had a bunch of wins but it was the most memorable day,” says Jens Voigt, German former professional road bicycle racer who was recently in the country. For those who have been a part of any competitive sport, this act of Voigt can give a little insight into the man.

Sitting at a restaurant of a five star hotel in central Delhi, Voigt was casually dressed in a blue T-shirt, which carried the name Trek — the bicycle manufacturer with whom his name has been associated since 2011 as its global brand ambassador. He retired from active racing four years ago but continues to be as busy if not more. “I was in California, then travelled home to Germany for two days and now I am in India. Earlier, I was travelling more within Europe but now it is greater distances. It gives me a chance to see beautiful places and meet interesting people. I have 10 different bosses and 10 different jobs,” he says and goes on to add with a laugh, “If I had known how good retired life would be, I would have done it 20 years ago.”

And it has perks like watching countries like India where the cycling culture is young, growing fast. “I can see the change from my first visit in March to now. At a bike race, more than 6,000 people showed up. It is going the right way. People are now interested in bikes that are lighter with smaller wheels that go faster rather than the more utilatirian ones with broader wheels.”

Voigt, who was born in what was then East Germany, says, “My school teachers told my parents that since I talked a lot, had a lot of energy and was a pretty wild child, I should start cycling to burn off.” He won the first race that he took part in and as was the norm, the Communist government paid for sports training. “The local team came up and presented me with a shiny silver metallic bike. My parents were working class and it was the first time that I had something that was not a hand-me-down from my older brother or something which I had to share with my younger sister. I was thrilled,” he says. Life came a full circle when Diamant, the oldest bike  making company in Europe, was faced with imminent closure and was taken over by Trek. “Now my kids ride the same bikes that I did as a child,” he says, the thrill clearly palpable in his voice.

During a career that spread over 18 years as a pro and 33 years in all, Voigt had 65 wins which, he believes, was “pretty good”. But then he places the statistics: “I probably failed 650 times. So nine times out of 10 is not the best odds but you need to accept it,” he says. And for him that is what kept him going. “A person holds his/her destiny in their hands. You basically take your passion and make it happen. So you try to make the best out of what is given to you. Self-belief is important if you are starting out on a Tour of France which is for 21 days and has 3,500 participants.”

But beyond the mind game, cycling also needs  peak physical fitness. During a normal year, when he was a part of the circuit, Voigt would do 35,000 km, of which 15,000 would be racing and 20,000 training. “In cycling aerodynamics is important because there is resistance to wind. The weight of the rider is important as the lighter you are the better it is. So during the Tour of France, I would be really thin with less than 4 per cent body weight. So you have to pay attention to your diet. The training cannot be done within two hours, it is a process for that stretches over the entire day,” says Voigt, who rides a model called Madone, which he helped develop at Trek. 

To sustain in the sport, he feels dedication, passion, a certain amount of intelligence, willingness to accept the challenge obstacles, challenges and defeat but not get bogged down by defeat. He has been through 75 crashes, broken 11 bones and has 25 needles and screws in his body. “While your family does live off the money and you have a good life, there are sacrifices to be made. I have very often missed the first day at school or performance which made it it hard for me. My wife has kept things under control and has my back. I would not have been able to be a professional cyclist, if it had not been for her. My family enjoys and suffer in equal parts,” he says.

Voigt met his wife when he was 22. Six children and many years down the line, they continue to be inseparable. “I met her father and told my friend that he was certainly not pretty so it was unlikely that the daughter would be. But soon I saw her and she had her hair in a ponytail which bounced and my head went  like this,” he says, bobbing his head up and down as he recollected the incident which happened years back.

After retirement, he also works as a TV commentator who gives colour and insight about the sport. “I know most of the cyclists and I can talk to them but it is tricky. I always tell them whether I am calling them as a friend or journalist. If you can’t separate the two,  then you lose the trust and it won’t come back.”

Voigt started a sportswear brand called Shut Up Legs which was his catch phrase years ago. “I still get pictures from Boston or Australian marathon where you have it written on the road. It will be out there when I am gone,” he says, signing off.   

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