Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Shut Up, Jens

Image result for shut up legs

Who doesn’t love Jens Voigt? The eccentric German pro cyclist was a fan favorite for years, beloved for his bold racing style, tireless work ethic, and wonderfully quotable commentary. His quirky personality, toughness, and penchant for long, impossible breakaways made him something of a throwback, a refreshing exception in an age where race-radio calculation all too often counts for strategy. In the final years of his career, Jens had a cult following, especially in the United States, where the story of him yelling at his own suffering body during races—shut up, legs!—has become the stuff of legend.

Jens is retired now but milking the cult-cow for all its worth, commanding a huge Twitter audience (#thejensie), hosting a Gran Fondo in Marin, California, and doing commentary on Tour de France tv coverage. (He’s the guy with what sounds like a totally fake German accent.) So, no surprise that Jens is cashing in on his success with an autobiography (written with the help of James Startt) called, of course, Shut Up Legs! My Wild Ride On and Off the Bike.  

Monday, November 13, 2017

Winterfeet


My feet are humming.

It’s full winter in Edmonton, has been since November 1, when a frigid front moved in with a dump of snow making it feel like deep January, even though it’s only Remembrance Day. Winter doesn’t officially start for another 5 weeks. Tell that to my toes.