Fittingly, Thomas Voeckler lands sitcom gig for retirement

Thomas Voeckler is well known for putting on a show during races but his cycling career is nearing its end with the 2017 Tour de France which starts in Dusseldorf on July 1st set to be the Frenchman’s swan song. However, despite hanging up the bike he will continue his performances landing a role on the French sitcom Plus belle la vie for an upcoming episode set to be released this summer.

In the French show, Voeckler will take up the role of himself and give advice to a character who is debating whether to do a time trial according to L’Équipe. It will air sometime this summer.

It’s fitting Voeckler will take up a role in a sitcom after the reputation he built up during his career honing hi acting skills. Voeckler made a name for himself not just with his strong legs but with the faces he pulled during hard efforts. He also gained a reputation for overly dramatic showings of fatigue to avoid pulls only to suddenly revive at the line. As an aggressive rider, he often got camera time at the front of the race during breakaways and he was known for pulling exaggerations expressions as he tried to hold off the charging peloton.

Those efforts saw Voeckler win four stages at the Tour de France over the course of his career, he won the polka dot jersey in 2012 and held the yellow jersey for 10 stages during the 2011 Tour de France. He currently rides for team Direct Énergie and you can bet he will get some camera time at the Tour de France. It will be the 15th time he starts the French Grand Tour and so far he has finished every edition he has lined up for.