JENS VOIGT
Jensie looks forward to the new season and recalls his fondness for the early races
Our race columnist on the latest events
AHappy New Year to all of you, readers and fans. A new season lies ahead, full of dreams and high hopes for all cyclists. Not everyone’s dream can come true but we can only judge after the season is finished. I love the start of a new season, it is like a clean white sheet of paper and it’s up to everybody themselves to write a beautiful story on the sheet in front of them.
One story is already being written. Team Sky announced that after many years of loyal partnership with the team their title sponsor will not continue in 2020. That was only announced just before Christmas. A little weird timing if you ask me, but hey, it’s not my team. I am sure they had an idea behind it.
That changes the dynamics of the whole sport in a rather dramatic way. We now have 70 or even more people with an uncertain future starting to look for a new job. Since I am in Oz for the Tour Down Under as I write, I can tell you it’s a big topic of conversation. The Tour de France winners for the last years are both maybe looking for a new team, so if you are a leader of any team you’d better have a good season because if not, even a leader might get replaced with some Sky riders.
Later in the Classics, we will need to remember that after three years in the rainbow jersey for Peter Sagan, this year it’s Alejandro Valverde, so it is likely that we’ll see the rainbow stripes up there in the Ardennes like when Cadel Evans won Flèche Wallonne in 2010.
What about the sprinters? Will the younger stars like Caleb Ewan or my compatriot Pascal Ackermann kick the old kings of the sprint into retirement? Or will Mark and Marcel have another impressive comeback year?
I always loved the start of the new season as a rider. You get a brand new shiny bike, helmet, glasses and new racing kit. That never got old for me. I was always like a little child at Christmas. And then after months of mostly training alone at home you finally meet with all the other boys from the team and also your friends from
I always loved the start of the new season as a rider. You get a brand new shiny bike and new racing kit. That never got old for me - I was like a child at Chrismas
other teams. There’s always a lot of chatting and laughing going on, catching up. Don’t get me wrong - we raced hard and tenaciously against each other – but on the transfer to the start or back to the hotel there is always a little time to chat.
Another reason I liked the beginning of the season is that after months of training you get your first real check on your condition. I always trained a lot, so I rarely came into the season short on form. But expecting good form and knowing that you are in good shape are different things. I always loved the confirmation that hard work had paid off. Of course, on the other end of that scale is the total frustration when you painfully realise that your shape is not where you want it.
New Year and the start of a new season are always moments to reflect on life and think about the past and the future. And let me tell you, I am pretty happy with my retirement. I still feel no desire for a comeback! I still love our sport, but I can easily do without the suffering.
Jens Voigt retired in 2014 following an 18-year career as one of the sport's most loved and attacking riders. He held the Hour Record for 42 days. Commentators never did agree how to pronounce his name.