Jens Voigt is recognized as an extremely experienced cyclist with 20 Grand Tour appearances and 58 career victories, although he has never been a candidate to win a Grand Tour, his extensive experience in the peloton gives him a unique insight into the characteristics needed to that.
Super gasoline
“This was not done because no one is using super gasoline (slang for the use of doping) anymore. This is one of the reasons why victory in both Grand Tours has not been achieved since Pantani” (he did both competitions in 1998), said Voigt in an analysis on the British website GCN.
“I raced in both races and was competitive in chasing stages in the Giro (1 stage win) and the Tour (2 stage wins) or as a gregarious person, like Carlos Sastre, but GC is different.”
“Corri nas duas corridas e fui competitivo na busca por etapas no Giro (1 vitória de etapa) e no Tour (2 vitórias de etapa) ou como gregário de alguém, como Carlos Sastre, mas GC é diferente.”
Se alguém pode fazer isso, é Pogacar
Voigt não tem certeza se é possível nos dias atuais vencer o Giro d’Italia e o Tour de France, mas se alguém pode, é o esloveno. “Tadej é muito mais jovem, mas tem uma equipe incrivelmente forte e é um ciclista vencedor. Ele não vai ao Giro terminar em sétimo. Ele é assim mesmo. Se alguém pode fazer isso, é Pogacar.”
“Sou um pouco tendencioso porque gosto dele. Ele é um jovem legal e não tem medo de atacar por muito tempo. Sou um fã, tenho que admitir. Quem poderia imaginar que um ciclista como ele poderia vencer o Tour de Flandres?” ele continua.
If anyone can do it, it’s Pogacar
Voigt isn’t sure if it’s possible these days to win the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, but if anyone can, it’s the Slovenian. “Tadej is much younger, but he has an incredibly strong team and is a winning cyclist. He’s not going to finish seventh at the Giro. He’s just like that. If anyone can do it, it’s Pogacar.”
“I’m a little biased because I like him. He is a cool young man and is not afraid to attack for long. I’m a fan, I have to admit. Who would have thought that a cyclist like him could win the Tour of Flanders?” he continues.
“So I think he can do the double, but he’s also thinking that he came second twice to Vingegaard in the Tour de France, so he’s probably thinking he needs to change something.”
Giro and Vuelta double is more manageable
In the Giro d’Italia Pogacar will have a single lead, however in the Tour de France UAE Team Emirates has designated a constellation alongside the Slovenian with Adam Yates, Juan Ayuso and João Almeida. “I think the Giro and Vuelta double is probably more manageable. Like with Roglic.”
“He would have done it last year, but he was not allowed to win the Vuelta a España. There is enough time between the Giro and the Vuelta. With the Giro and the Tour, there is a complicated distance between the two races,” he argues.
“It takes a long time to push in both races because you are in form for four weeks at the Giro, and then it is impossible to maintain top form for 12 weeks until the end of the Tour. The time between the two races is also short, so you can’t take a week off and then try to recover.”
“It was complicated in the past, but with the coaches and the data that the riders have now, it is manageable”, believes Voigt, arguing that developments in nutrition and preparation can help riders in this difficult objective.