Recently retired Jens Voigt will attempt to challenge the hour record on September 18.
Jens Voigt attacks on stage three of the 2014 Criterium du Dauphine. Photo: Graham Watson
On this day the 42-year-old will try to break Ondrej Sosenka’s 49,7 kilometer mark in the Vélodrome Suisse in Grenchen.
“It’s a huge challenge for me, both physical and mental,” says Voigt.
“This is a huge project and probably it’s going to come as a surprise for many people. Everybody knows that Fabian (Cancellara) was working on it together with Trek, so when he decided to re-assess his plans because of the rule change (to allow pursuit-style bikes) it sparked my interest.
“We have been doing some discrete tests in the velodrome in Roubaix prior to the Dauphiné and we believe that I have a fair chance.”
“It’s a fascinating event: it’s super hard, but it’s a great discipline. Man and machine against the clock. A lot of logistics comes in play: when, where, how, etc. But I didn’t have to convince anybody: both Trek and our GM Luca Guercilena were all exited when I told them about my idea.
“They gave me a lot of support. Luckily we could use some of the blueprints that were being drawn for Fabian, so we kind of hit the ground running.”
