Cycling: Twelve years ago, Jens Voigt won the Deutschland Tour for the second time. He is also actively involved in 2019 - but not on the bike. Instead, he takes care of the youngsters on the kinder+Sport mini tour. He still has to sign plenty of autographs along the way. Nevertheless, he took the time for an interview with Velomotion before the team presentation.
Jens, you've won the Deutschland Tour twice yourself. How important is it for German cycling that this tour takes place regularly?
Jens Voigt: “The Deutschland Tour is a national tour and therefore of course a flagship for the entire sport. If it is held regularly again, that can only be a good sign. It is also important that we have financially strong and experienced organizers and partners here. They certainly don't want to stay at four days. I do think that the goal is to hold the Deutschland Tour sometime from Sunday to Sunday or from Monday to Sunday. Then one day you can start in Berlin and travel to Munich via Hamburg and Düsseldorf – or vice versa. It would be great if you could connect several federal states. The first event was very well received by the spectators along the route. Everyone was very happy. So I see only one direction: Things are looking up!”
Up is a good keyword. Stages 2 to 4 would have been perfect for the breakaway Voigt.
Jens Voigt: "Yes absolutely. The tour is also well balanced. Fabian Wegmann is doing a very good job as sporting director. It's not too easy, but the sprinters also get a chance. There are no gifts. There's no telling which type of driver will win. In fact, every day matters and every bonus second counts. Last year we saw a very offensive race and an open exchange of blows between the favorites.”
That would have been my next question: Who do you bet as the winner?
Jens Voigt: “After the tour, of course, we're all groping in the dark. Some are tired and haven't trained much anymore, mainly recovering. Others came out of the tour unsatisfied and now want to show it to everyone. It's really very difficult to predict.”
You've just taken care of the offspring. What are your responsibilities here on the Deutschland Tour?
Jens Voigt: "Exactly. I'm officially responsible for the kinder+Sport mini tour. We want to bring cycling closer to children of all ages. Due to the tight time frame, we only held the balance bike race for the two to five-year-olds today. Starting tomorrow, the six to twelve-year-olds will be added. And we have built a world of experience. There are three stations to contest: 1) is a mini BMX track, where body control and balance are important. 2) is a learning course where children basically learn to go straight, stop and take turns. 3) is a small tent in which a small ergometer was set up. In front of it there is a screen on which a real traffic situation is played. Then the child has to decide: When do I have to brake and when do I have the right of way? And when the brake is pressed on the ergometer, the child on the screen also brakes. So it's all directly connected. The children then receive a stamp at each station. Once they have earned three stamps, they will be issued with a small bicycle license.
The current results also show us how important it is to take care of young people. It seems like the stars are getting younger and younger. Egan Bernal wins the Tour at the age of 22, Remco Evenepoel already seems to be riding at the highest level at 19.
Jens Voigt: “Yes, the Evenepoel is going to be a big one. If his career only goes halfway according to plan, I don't think anyone can stop him. He has an incredible talent. He recently won the Clasica San Sebastian. And it's definitely not an easy race.”
You have often pleaded publicly for shorter flat stages, because hardly anyone wants to look at the six-hour drive to the mass sprint. What changes would you like to see in cycling?
Jens Voigt: “So quite spontaneously and without thinking about realism: More circuit races! It's easier for the organizer to lock everything up. It's also easier for television, because you can simply set up cameras at every corner. You no longer need helicopters and you don't have to follow behind with motorcycles. The spectators would like it too, because they don't just see the pros drive by once. But as a driver, I would have been the first to say: That's the worst shit! Because racers don't really like it that much. Besides, it is also a financial thing since the starting and ending places pay money. If you only included one city, a lot of money will be lost. But you can at least do a few more laps in the destination. The spectators stand there for hours and they want to see more.
When I had my next idea as a driver, I would have said: Are you stupid! But double stages would be great. 60 kilometers in the morning and another 60 kilometers in the afternoon. The drivers would go full throttle. It would make the race more exciting. But of course the drivers wouldn't be happy about that. I just see that in my kids. The boys are now almost 24 and 20. They say to me: I'll never watch a five-hour bike race in my life. I want to have the whole race edited into a 5-minute clip and backed with cool music. But of course we can't do a bike race within five minutes. But if you want to excite the youth, you have to make it consumable for them. They're not like us, and they sit by the side of the track for two hours with a picnic basket. We just have to find a healthy mix in order not to lose long-time fans, but at the same time to get the younger generation enthusiastic about cycling.
More cameras! Front helmet camera, rear helmet camera. One camera on the back of the saddle, one on the front of the handlebars. And then the director would always have to switch to exactly where something exciting is happening. Spectators need to participate more in the race, should be able to see everything at all times and be part of the peloton. Maybe we should also use drones or divide the screen into four. We should just provide more action and excitement overall.
Of course, as an old man, I don't want these innovations. I like to sit on my sofa with my coffee and my biscuits. Then I eat an apple pie and watch three or four hours of cycling. It's incredibly interesting when you understand what's going on. I often think to myself: Hey, these two are talking to each other, they're about to plan something together. Or I ask myself: Why are they leaving the leading group so far away?”
A bike race is like a movie that slowly builds up and gets more and more exciting. In between there are always highlights. And if you only watch the last few minutes, you don't even know the history.
Jens Voigt: "Exactly. Cycling is chess on wheels. Don't forget that at the start there are always at least as many plans as there are teams. And what did the great general von Moltke say? The first thing that falls victim to a battle is the battle plan. It's the same in cycling. Which team can implement their plan in reality? I can watch this for hours.”
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