Jens Voigt attacks another climb at the 2011 Tour de France. (James Startt)
By Jens Voigt
I don’t know about you, but I tend to be one of those romantic, nostalgic types around this time of year. I start thinking about wishes I could still fulfill—you know, wishes like winning the Alpe d’Huez stage in the Tour de France, or more realistically in my case, simply winning the lottery!
As I was cruising around the lonely forests on my mountain bike here in Berlin last week, I suddenly remembered something that happened to me during last year’s Tour de France. It’s one of those stories that puts a smile on my face—the kind of smile that starts slowly and wells up from deep inside.
I was thinking about the stage to Alpe d’Huez last July. As we all know Alberto Contador attacked early in the stage and blew the race apart. It was an open battle between the favorites. I was at my limit. I had been dropped and was almost out of it. But then I fought my way back to the first group with the two Schleck brothers one last time before we hit the foot of the Alpe.
I delivered some fresh, cool bottles to them and tried to get them in a good position before they hit that final climb. As soon as we hit the mountain there were attacks everywhere, of course. And since I’m not exactly a, how shall we say, “natural-born climber,” well, I was dropped again! But that’s life as a domestique and I can’t complain. I did my job and was gone. At that point I just decided to sit up and take in the view and soak up the ambiance of the Alpe. It is such a mythic mountain, and it is always so special to race up it.
So, there I was, riding slowly (I prefer not to say at what speed) all alone, trying to enjoy all the fans, the support, and the emotions because this well may have been my last time up the Alpe as a cyclist in the Tour. I really wanted to enjoy it to the max, if we can ever call riding up Alpe d’Huez enjoyment! I still had to go up this crazy-hard mountain!
And then, with about three kilometers to go I emptied my last bottle and was looking for some kid to give it to. Finally, I saw a young boy standing with his daddy. I rode over to him and slowly and carefully aimed at the kid—not trying to hit him! I just wanted to drop the bottle at his feet so he could pick it up and have a nice souvenir. And that’s exactly what I did.
But then, to my total disbelief a middle-aged guy just tackles the kid like a defensive back in the Super Bowl! And then, while the poor kid tries to regain his balance, the man grabs the bottle and starts putting it away. I watched this and kept on riding, but I was just steaming in disappointment and anger—yes, anger!
So i thought, “No this is not going to happen!” Until then I was having a super day. I was feeling good. The sun was bright and it was just one of those moments when I was proud to be a professional cyclist. I just wasn’t going to let this guy spoil my day!
At that point I just decided to stop my bike, turn around and start rolling down the hill again. All these people on the side of the road are watching me in awe and silence. They were probably asking themselves, “Is Jens going to abandon? Is he injured? Why is he turning around in the final of a mountain stage?” But I was just looking for that man who tackled that little boy. All this time, the crowd remained silent, waiting for would happen next.
Finally, I saw the guy and stopped in from of him and just pointed at his bag and told him that the bottle he grabbed was for this kid standing next to him. Of course at that point he hands over that bottle and I get back on my bike again, and I have to admit I felt pretty good about it. But then the crowd just erupted and I am sure that at this moment I was getting about as much applause as the guys in the front group with the yellow jersey
It was just amazing and it’s a story I think about often. And every time I think back on the day where I turned around on the Alpe d’Huez in the Tour de France, I just have to smile. You know what they say about the small things in life, well that sure was one of those moments!
this is why voigt is an instant boss
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