His fellow riders, many of whom call Voigt a friend, were aghast.

“It was really hard to see because Jens is amazing, just super tough,” said Team Garmin-Transitions’ David Zabriskie, who rode with Voigt on the former CSC squad. “When we used to do survival camps, he had the strength of multiple men. I’ve never seen him tired. I’ve never seen him hurt. He’s always happy.”

Voigt, a rider known for his gutsy attacks during races — including one Monday, when he ended up 14th — was not about to let that horrific accident keep him off his bike. He had the support of his wife, Stephanie, and their five children to return to the sport, full bore.

Image Bret Lancaster, right, won a sprint to the finish Monday to capture Stage 2 and take the overall lead in the Tour of California. Credit... Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

“I wanted to believe that I was the chief of my own destiny, that I wouldn’t end my career like that,” Voigt said. “If I would have retired, I would always feel like a quitter, like there was a piece of my life missing. I wouldn’t have been remembered for my 60 wins. I would have been remembered as the guy who crashed at the Tour de France. No way did I want that.”

So Voigt raced at the Tour of Missouri last fall, proving to himself and everyone else that he would not let fear conquer him. He had studied the videotape of his crash and with the help of experts concluded that no material failure occurred with his bike. His tires had wobbled on a lip in the road and slipped on a white line, he said.

Now the only evidence of the crash is a tiny blue scar above his right eyebrow, some scars on his left hand and a slight deformity of his right index finger, which had dragged along the road during his fall. He cannot bend or straighten the finger completely.

“I can do all the important things in life. I can eat sushi,” Voigt said as he mimicked using chopsticks with that right hand.