Jens Voigt: I would have slammed Wiggins’ and Froome’s heads together when it came to Tour de France selection

This article originally appeared on Velo News

Jens Voigt didn't mince his words during the recent episode of the 'Bobby & Jens' podcast, telling special guest and Team Sky centerpiece Rod Ellingworth that he wouldn't have stood for any dissent or trouble when it came to the battle of selection for the Tour de France at the team in 2014.

That year the British team decided to base the Tour lineup around Chris Froome, the defending champion, with Bradley Wiggins controversially left out in the cold. The riders had fallen out in 2012 during Wiggins' Tour win and barely spoke until Wiggins eventually left the team.

Also listen: Bobby & Jens: Richie Porte faced hostile spectators on Team Sky

Froome would crash out of the Tour in 2014, leaving Team Sky without a GC leader for the rest of the race. The rift at Team Sky was a major talking point throughout that season and during this week's podcast Voigt couldn't hold back his feelings on the matter.

"Apart from that I never heard or saw any fight or struggle, so I guess you guys did a pretty good job. If I'm allowed to share my own private opinion on that fight back then? Or should I just be quiet?" he asked.

Once Ellingworth gave the former German rider the green light, Voigt said:

"If I had been Dave Brailsford I would have taken those two to my room and slammed their heads together and gone, ‘listen, you cost me five million pounds, and you cost me five million pounds. You two are half of my bloody budget. I expect you to be full-grown men and work together for three weeks. You don't have to talk to each other and one can go to Paris-Nice and the other can do Tirreno. One can do the Dauphine and one can do the Tour de Suisse but for three weeks in a year, for five million quid I expect you to go 'yes sir, we can do three weeks of working together.’"

Bobby & Jens is a weekly VeloNews podcast. 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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