Column | In this Giro Jens is ‘Go get them tiger!’ Voigt the undisputed highlight so far

It is a good practice among commentators to briefly summarize the course for the viewers who have just switched on. I’m going to try that for this Giro so far for the people who only hook up after the second rest day, but then in written form.

Emile Ratelband

I dare to do it, because not much has happened. This is about it: rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, corona, rain, rain, rain, Nico Denz, rain, rain, rain, rain and JENS VOIGT!

The German – the second I mention, because although Nico Denz does an excellent job, this column is mainly about Jens Voigt – steals the show as a man on a motorcycle at Eurosport. Where the classification riders ride their bicycles a bit without inspiration through the rain, the enthusiasm of Der Jens on the motorcycle is wonderful to watch.

I think Karsten Kroon is a very nice commentator / animal interpreter, but this Giro he is in the shadow of his former teammate, from whom Emile Ratelband can even learn something in terms of positivism. Kroon has already mentioned a few times that Voigt opened the curtains while rubbing his hands when it rained in a race in which they were lying together in the hotel room.

Allo Allo

That vibe you can also hear it on the engine. With a funny Allo Allo accent and a smile on his face, Voigt kept his spirits up last Giro week. Voigt’s funny English was enough to make you laugh, but what he actually said even more so.

He yelled Mads Pedersen and the Trek-Segafredo men back out with a heartfelt “Go get them tiger!” and called himself a clown in passing after he did. Thibaut Pinot was then encouraged with a firm ‘Vive La France! Compatriot Nico Denz was subjected to an in-depth interview on a bicycle from which they can draw a point at Zomergasten.

Text continues below the video with Mads Pedersen

🚴‍♂️🇮🇹 | “Go get ’em tiger!” Jens Voigt encourages the men of TREK-Segafredo to ride Mads Pedersen back to the peloton. 😄🐅 #Giro

📺 You can watch the course on discovery+ pic.twitter.com/dLZPkqWWtt

— Eurosport Netherlands (@Eurosport_NL) May 17, 2023

Pink painted lion

And not only the interludes with the riders are wonderful to watch. Even when Voigt gives Nobel Prize for Literature-winning monologues about the riders and the race in the pouring rain, I’m on the edge of my seat.

The highlight of it was the monologue in which he compared Mark Cavendish to a bear that had just come out of hibernation. As if he were Richard Attenborough himself, he described how a soaked Cav sat on the bike and then concluded with his almost legendary ‘back zzzooo zzzzee commentatorzzz’.

Der Jens will be relieved on the bike by Adam Blythe from tomorrow. With all due respect to Adam, but he can never fill the gaping hole left by Voigt. So now it’s – finally – up to you, Geraint, Primoz and Joao! Race like Jens on the bike. Like a pink painted lion smelling Rome, as Voigt himself would probably put it.