Friday, July 6, 2007

Jens Voigt Talks On the Eve Of The Tour


On the eve of the start of the Tour in London the last two teams that have signed the UCI's rider agreement were Italian outfit Quickstep and Danish team CSC. Jens Voigt confirmed yesterday that he and his teammates would sign the document just before the start.

The German talked to sport1.de about the upcoming Tour de France. He reacted to accusations of compatriot Jörg Jaksche, made in the weekly magazine Der Spiegel, by saying that "Jaksche sold an interview for money." He wasn't going to name anybody, but nonetheless mentioned Vinokourov and Voigt. "Maybe he did that because we don't have a great relationships," Voigt suggested.

Voigt often shares a room with American Bobby Julich when they race together. "Bobby, who unfortunately won't be at the Tour this year, called me and told me I shouldn't let it get to me. He knows I am an emotional person."

He also credits Bjarne Riis for starting the strong anti-doping program at CSC. "With Rasmus Damsgaard he got one of his biggest critics on board. And we release all our data."

Voigt said that the book he just wrote ("One has to fight") is not about the fight against doping but simply describing his life as a cyclist, "from the youth to today."

Asked about the podium in Paris the German picks "Vinokourov, Klöden and Sastre, but not necessarily in this order."

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