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Jens Voigt says Eurosport will screen Hour record attempt

German adds he "must be mad" to take to the track the day after his 43rd birthday...

Jens Voigt says that Eurosport will be providing live TV coverage of his attempt on the Hour record next week to up to 70 countries and while full dteails aren't yet to hand, given his popularity here we imagine it's likely the UK will be among them.

The German, who retired  from road racing last month following a career that saw him take part in the Tour de France a record-equalling 17 times, taking two stage wins along the way, announced his forthcoming attempt on the record last week.

The news came as a surpise, and Voigt said it was "one last present for my fans" although he promised that he was earnest about beating the current record of 49.7km held by Ondrej Sosenka’s 49.7 adding that it wouldn't be a "circus act."

The record attempt takes part in the Velodrome Suisse in Grenchen, Switzerland next Thursday 18 September.

As yet, the attempt - which takes place the day after Voigt's 43rd birthday - doesn't appear on the British Eurosport schedule, but a crew from the pan-European broadcaster was at the track today to film Voigt's preparations as part of a preview.

Voigt said on Twitter: "I gotta be insane , no?! Doing this to myself a day after my birthday??!! But hey- i never said i am normal,right?!"

Meanwhile, Trek Bicycle UK tweeted a picture of Voigt warming up on the rollers.

 

 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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16 comments

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Cooks | 10 years ago
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I made an Olympic drinking game, every time you see Clare Balding, have a shot. When she becomes attractive, go to hospital.

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paddyirish | 10 years ago
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Down the remains of the bottle when the cast finishes and there has been no mention of Jens + drugs...

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ragtimecyclist | 10 years ago
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1 shot for every mention of the washing-machine bearing in Obree's bike?

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notfastenough | 10 years ago
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1 shot every time he completes a lap?!

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farrell replied to notfastenough | 10 years ago
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notfastenough wrote:

1 shot every time he completes a lap?!

I probably should have said, I do still need to make it in to work the next day!

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SteppenHerring replied to notfastenough | 10 years ago
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notfastenough wrote:

1 shot every time he completes a lap?!

I doubt that even JTL could drink that much.

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notfastenough replied to SteppenHerring | 10 years ago
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SteppenHerring wrote:
notfastenough wrote:

1 shot every time he completes a lap?!

I doubt that even JTL could drink that much.

Maybe we could crowdsource an experiment - everyone has blood taken before starting, then again a couple of days later; see if anyone else can replicate the results!

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farrell replied to notfastenough | 10 years ago
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notfastenough wrote:
SteppenHerring wrote:
notfastenough wrote:

1 shot every time he completes a lap?!

I doubt that even JTL could drink that much.

Maybe we could crowdsource an experiment - everyone has blood taken before starting, then again a couple of days later; see if anyone else can replicate the results!

Banging idea, get British Cycling to stick on a big screen and a bar at the NCC and I reckon they'd get a shit load of volunteers to get data from!

Party tram back in to town afterwards...

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notfastenough replied to farrell | 10 years ago
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farrell wrote:
notfastenough wrote:
SteppenHerring wrote:
notfastenough wrote:

1 shot every time he completes a lap?!

I doubt that even JTL could drink that much.

Maybe we could crowdsource an experiment - everyone has blood taken before starting, then again a couple of days later; see if anyone else can replicate the results!

Banging idea, get British Cycling to stick on a big screen and a bar at the NCC and I reckon they'd get a shit load of volunteers to get data from!

Party tram back in to town afterwards...

Naturally - you couldn't hope to get through 35 units in the hour! The party should be led by G and Wiggo - seasoned drinking cyclists!

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Al__S | 10 years ago
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Sets a record: with a full glass (your choice), stand up, toast, see it away.

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notfastenough | 10 years ago
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1 shot for each lap he completes quicker than the average speed required to take the record.

1 shot for each time the commentator says shut up legs.

1 shot for each time the commentator says "he turned 43 yesterday" or some variation thereof.

1 shot for commentator mention of Spartacus, Tony Martin or Wiggo.

1 shot for commentator telling us how well liked Jens is.

etc etc.

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farrell replied to notfastenough | 10 years ago
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notfastenough wrote:

1 shot for each lap he completes quicker than the average speed required to take the record.

1 shot for each time the commentator says shut up legs.

1 shot for each time the commentator says "he turned 43 yesterday" or some variation thereof.

1 shot for commentator mention of Spartacus, Tony Martin or Wiggo.

1 shot for commentator telling us how well liked Jens is.

etc etc.

Yep, been running over loads of ideas similar to that, but I still think there is something in there that has the potential to be brilliant.

Or brilliantly stupid.

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farrell | 10 years ago
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I have to say that I am really struggling to figure out how to build a drinking game for this.

There is something there that is blindingly obvious yet brilliant and I'm just not seeing the woods for the trees.

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marche | 10 years ago
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The BMC factory is located just on the other side of the Velodrome (athletes' entrance). In fact you will see BMC as main sponsor all over the place. In the facility there's even a BMC store. Riding a Trek is quite "challenging" here!

http://www.velodromesuisse.ch/de/news/newsarchiv/2014/stundenweltrekord....

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jollygoodvelo | 10 years ago
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I assume he'll be riding Trek's track bike that was built for Cancellara...? Pursuit bars are UCI track-legal so I assume those will be used too.

Might work from home next Thursday... or drop into LMNH.

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RobD | 10 years ago
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Oh I really hope this gets shown in the UK (maybe not the UK after Thursday)
I just have to convince the girlfriend that watching one man on a bike go around a track for an hour is suitable tv entertainment.

Any news on the bike he'll be riding yet?

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