Bobby & Jens: Roger Kluge
The Lotto-Soudal rider talks about his success in both track and road racing.
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An Olympic silver medalist, world champion in the Madison, and a grand tour stage winner, German cyclist Roger Kluge has had a fruitful career on both the track and road. Fresh off of finishing second in the Ghent Six Day, the most prestigious of the six-day track races, Roger, who rides on the road for Lotto-Soudal, joins Bobby & Jens this week.
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Six-day racing can be a bit of a mystery to the average cycling fan — and even the more seasoned fans as well. Roger talks about why he’s drawn to the racing format and takes us through his daily routine during the events, which include some late nights. It’s no easy feat to compete in one of these events, either. While it doesn’t quite involve putting in the daily mileage of a grand tour stage, which co-host Bobby Julich had heard, it still requires an impressive amount of riding.
Track racing can also be an especially dangerous discipline of cycling. Roger talks about how road cycling teams feel about their riders participating in six-day races, which can result in injury, but also act as excellent training for riders like Roger. Track cycling also has a unique element because many of its events, including six-day races, require a partner. Roger discusses how he picks the perfect teammate.
But Roger’s career is far from all track racing; he’s had success on the road as well, winning a stage of the Giro d’Italia in 2016. He takes us through that career highlight and how he overcame a field of sprint specialists to win a flat stage. Plus he provides insight into balancing the two sides of his cycling career.
And now 35 years old, Roger is entering the tail end of his career. He discusses when he might hang up the bike.
Listen to the latest episode of Bobby & Jens for the full conversation.
Bobby & Jens is a weekly VeloNews podcast brought to you by Zwift. It stars former pros Bobby Julich and Jens Voigt and features conversations with top athletes, coaches, emerging stars, and other newsmakers from the wide world of cycling. A new episode drops every Friday. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts.
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