"Every now and then you have Pogacar or Einstein being born": Jens Voigt claims we live in the "golden era of cycling"

Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard, or Wout Van Aert. What do these men have in common is clear - their outstanding cycling talents. Especially the first two riders on this list are nothing short of a phenomenon worthy to be titled "genius". Jens Voigt has not been active as a rider for over a decade now, and despite having had the opportunity to race alongside many all-time greats over his two-decades long career, the German is still at a loss of words when watching Pogacar or before him Peter Sagan racing their bicycles.

"Just every now and then… you have Pogacar being born or you have Albert Einstein, you have Beethoven born," Voigt said on The Domestique Hotseat podcast. "Normal people like you and me, we go, how is that possible? How can you be so smart or so strong or so fast?"

"I’m not religious, but that’s how I explain it," he added. "Every now and then, God is sitting there and there’s these little human figures on his little production line… And every one million of these little clay figures, which become later humans, he takes from the production line and gives it a kiss. Blessed by the gods. And that’s how Peter Sagan, Pogacar, Einstein or Beethoven, Mozart… or people like Nelson Mandela are born. Outstanding people."

According to Voigt, we, cycling fans, have been blessed as well to be able to witness so many outstanding athletes compete in the same era. "We do live in a golden age of cycling," he admitted, referring to both road cycling and cyclocross. "We’ve got a really good period of cycling, spectacular cycling."

Frankly, due to its tarnished past, cycling might remain to be a sport most susceptible to doping accusations. However speaking from his own experience, Voigt cannot possibly imagine that there still exists systematic doping to this day.

"The hunters, the chasers, the doping control system is level or ahead of potential cheating," the 54-year-old ex-professional said. "I think they discovered all methods, all ways to cheat now and they have tests for it. So I really believe cycling is as good as it ever will be or can be."

Whether it's a good thing, or a bad one that cycling is not 100% trusted by public, Voigt remains the question open to own interpretation. "I don’t think the talk will ever stop completely, which also is a good thing. It leaves the pressure on to keep being clean and performing."