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Voigt's 15th Tour de France also his last one?

By Cycling News

published 20 June 2012

RadioShack rider will set German record for Tour participations

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Jens Voigt (RadioShack-Nissan)(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Jens Voigt (RadioShack-Nissan)(Image credit: Elmar Krings)

Jens Voigt (RadioShack-Nissan) on the attack(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Jens Voigt (RadioShack-Nissan) (Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)

Jens Voigt (RadioShack-Nissan) grimaces his way to a 2nd place in the stage. (Image credit: Mark Johnson/www.ironstring.com)

Jens Voigt is facing his 15th and probably last Tour de France. The RadioShack-Nissan rider was nominated for this year's Tour squad, and will set a record for the German with most participations.

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“I think this is my last Tour,” the 40-year-old told the German news agency dapd. “After all, that is a good 4,000 kilometers around France, and it doesn't get any easier.”

“I don't know myself whether I will continue my career,” he said. “My opinion changes every day.”

Voigt is currently tied with former sprinter and friend Erik Zabel for most participations by a German rider in the Tour. “I don't care at all about the record, but it makes me proud that over the years my teams have always said: We need Jens, we can take him with us.”

His team is going into the Tour under the shadow of team manager Johan Bruyneel's involvement in the USADA anti-doping case. “That is extra stress, which we really don't need.”

The German turned pro in 1997, with the ZVVZ-Giant-Australian Institute of Sport team. Since then he has ridden for only three teams: Gan/Credit Agricole (1998-2003), CSC/Saxo Bank (2004-2010) and Leopard Trek/RadioShack Nissan (2011-2012).

Voigt has won three stages in the Tour de France and one in the Giro d'Italia. He made the Criterium International his own, winning it not only in 1999 and 2004, but also from 2007 to 2009.