Shut up, legs!

Fortællingen om Jens Voigts vej til professionel cykelsport er bemærkelsesværdig. Lige fra hans opvækst i Østtyskland, hvor Tour de France blot var noget, man hørte rygter om, til den sene professionelle debut i 1997 og de mange bedrifter, der fulgte på landevejene i de efterfølgende år. Jens Voigt er kendt som et venligt og ærligt menneske, der ikke er bange for at sige sin mening – noget der er kommet til udtryk i forbindelse med hans skarpe omtale af dopingmisbrug i de mange sager, der har plaget cykelsporten siden hans debut. Men Jens Voigt er i særdeleshed også kendt som en kompromisløs cykelrytter, hvis særlige kørestil og engagement har skaffet ham fans over hele verden. Holdkammerater og modstandere beskriver Jens som en stædig og ustoppelig holdspiller, der altid giver sig 100 procent. Hans uforudsigelighed og utrættelighed har sikret ham mange sejre, heriblandt en etapesejr og den gule førertrøje i Tour de France, samt timerekorden i 2014, hvor han afsluttede sin karriere med at slå den tidligere rekord med over en kilometer. Shut up, legs! er en beretning om alt det, der har gjort Jens Voigt til en udødelig skikkelse inden for cykelsporten, og bogen kombinerer hans egne beretninger fra sadlen med udsagn fra andre centrale personer, der har fulgt ham i årenes løb. Den er et must for enhver, der interesserer sig for professionel cykling.

Push until it hurts, then push some more Even by the standards of a sport that requires enormous stamina and capacity for suffering, Jens Voigt is in a class on his own. Beloved by cycling fans for his madcap one-man breakaways as much as his sense of humour and quotable catchphrases, Jens is one of the most popular personalities in cycling. Jens was born near Hamburg, and came up through the East German system before the Wall came down. He got into the national team through the German army, before signing for his first big team. In many ways he is cycling’s anti-star; despite arguably spending more time at the front of the Tour de France than any other rider he has only worn the yellow jersey twice as his efforts have always been in the service of others. Jens embodies the best of cycling’s qualities – loyalty to his team, sacrifice, and devotion to the sport. He says, ‘I’m not a head person, I’m more of a heart and guts guy. That’s how I race.’ Shut Up Legs is a funny, insightful and entertaining look at the tough realities of professional cycling, told in Jens’s trademark irreverent and inimitable style.

Push until it hurts, then push some more Even by the standards of a sport that requires enormous stamina and capacity for suffering, Jens Voigt is in a class on his own. Beloved by cycling fans for his madcap one-man breakaways as much as his sense of humour and quotable catchphrases, Jens is one of the most popular personalities in cycling. Jens was born near Hamburg, and came up through the East German system before the Wall came down. He got into the national team through the German army, before signing for his first big team. In many ways he is cycling’s anti-star; despite arguably spending more time at the front of the Tour de France than any other rider he has only worn the yellow jersey twice as his efforts have always been in the service of others. Jens embodies the best of cycling’s qualities – loyalty to his team, sacrifice, and devotion to the sport. He says, ‘I’m not a head person, I’m more of a heart and guts guy. That’s how I race.’ Shut Up Legs is a funny, insightful and entertaining look at the tough realities of professional cycling, told in Jens’s trademark irreverent and inimitable style.