Teams & Riders Peter Sagan discussion thread.

[Jerkovin]

He is, and he would be good...if that's what he wanted to do. He clearly loves being the undisputed main man.

Which is why it will be very interesting to see where he chooses.

 

[cineteq]

@ NBC => Tinkov suggested Sagan is a done deal for next season.

 

[maxmartin]

@ NBC => Tinkov suggested Sagan is a done deal for next season.

yeah podcasting reported that a week ago, so AC and Sagan.

 

[cineteq]

yeah podcasting reported that a week ago, so AC and Sagan.

Great news. And Majka too

 

[luckyboy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYP14j993uQ

I like his sound effects. "Hmm!"

Oh man, laughed so hard at the podium girl bit. Didn't expect that

 

[ILovecycling]

I dont like that transfer. (from both point of view)

 

[Jerkovin]

Contador, Sagan, Majka is a pretty petrifying thought and he'll probably improve immensely alongside great riders.

But although Cannondale are too weak, I'm going to miss seeing Sagan as the top dog and somewhat with a mandate to do whatever he likes.

 

[SKSemtex]

I did not like too much idea of Sagan going to T-S, but after last stages I realize how much he can learn there. I could be wrong but it looks like the team chemistry is much much beter in T-S now then in most other team.

I rememeber how much people hated and blaimed Tinkoff last year but seeing him so excited in the end of stage with his team makes me feel that he is not such a "bad thing" that happend to this sport afterall.

 

[Jerkovin]

Tinkov poaching.

 

[Amsterhammer]

Apologies if previously asked and answered - has anyone ever won the green jersey without a stage win?

 

[Netserk]

Apologies if previously asked and answered - has anyone ever won the green jersey without a stage win?

Yes. Latest is Hushovd 2005 (thanks to Boonen having to abandon )

 

[SafeBet]

Apologies if previously asked and answered - has anyone ever won the green jersey without a stage win?

Zabel in both 98 and 99 if I'm not mistaken.
Probably somebody else in the past, I'd guess.

 

[dduff442]

Zabel in both 98 and 99 if I'm not mistaken.
Probably somebody else in the past, I'd guess.

Sean Kelly several times IIRC -- no stage wins after '82. Green jersey and 4th on GC one year with no wins.

 

[Amsterhammer]

Thanks guys.

 

[Arredondo]

Eddy Planckaert also won green without a stage win, in 1988.

 

[sir fly]

Can't say I'm disappointed that Sagan didn't win a stage. He's won plenty of them exploiting the underdog label.
Now it's the time to learn what the top dog etiquette brings.
He might be learning longer than he's been winning.

 

[ILovecycling]

He needs new goals.Motivation.

3rd green is good tho.

 

[MonkeyFace]

Can't say I'm disappointed that Sagan didn't win a stage. He's won plenty of them exploiting the underdog label.
Now it's the time to learn what the top dog etiquette brings.
He might be learning longer than he's been winning.

He never won anything being the underdog. All the sprints he ever won was due to good positioning, being able to accelerate hard, and being able to get over hills better than all the other sprinters. In a straight up drag race, he would lose to Kittle and Cav all day. We saw that last year when he only won one stage at the tour. If the stage doesn't have some hills at the end or a sharp turn just before the finish, he can place well but winning will be very hard. But for the green jersey, which to win you need to be consistent, he is leagues ahead of all the others.

 

[Jerkovin]

He never won anything being the underdog. All the sprints he ever won was due to good positioning, being able to accelerate hard, and being able to get over hills better than all the other sprinters. In a straight up drag race, he would lose to Kittle and Cav all day. We saw that last year when he only won one stage at the tour. If the stage doesn't have some hills at the end or a sharp turn just before the finish, he can place well but winning will be very hard. But for the green jersey, which to win you need to be consistent, he is leagues ahead of all the others.

Agreed. I don't think he has been an underdog since 2011 at most.

That said, when you win as much as he has done in such a short time, things do change. He definitely needs to deal with the fact that he is now a top dog, as his comments have reflected.

His form just also isn't as good as in 2012 & 2013, and this will be good for him in the long run anyway. His career so far has been so seamless and you could see he really wasn't used to not having his way. With any luck, the constant disappointments and near-misses from these last three weeks will be the kick up the **** he needs to start properly gunning for classics and multiple stage wins in grand tours.

And a better team will help.

 

[SKSemtex]

Changing team probably means that we will not have to do the "american" preparation for his third peak. Which should be Ponferada of course.

I have heard some rumours about Vuelta. Anybody has some info?

 

[Jerkovin]

Changing team probably means that we will not have to the "american" preparation for his third peak. Which should be Ponferada of course.

I have heard some rumours about Vuelta. Anybody has some info?

Well, here he says the plan is to rest and then focus on worlds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGqwGWOhYAc

 

[TANK91]

He no longer has it to mix with fast men,the guy also chokes a fair bit in sprints, he will find away to lose. Did he lose to Gerrans last year in flat sprint? Or coulda been Impey. At least do something on a stage get in break, i hate a guy usualy who does not win a single stage yet get's green, but Sagan i don't mind as much.

I would love Sagan to win cobbled classics, so people don't take it im being harsh on him afterall he is still young i just have huge expectations for him, I personally would go into flanders/Roubaix with tons of race days, who cares about Green now, why waste 21 days to get green every year, have some new goals, if Giro is favourable count that in with you're classic peak and do that then prepare or Vuelta. I agree with poster above i don't thing doing Cali after racing all spring helps him, he even does Suisse aswell, he should do one or other as prep or route de Sud, he cana always comeback later on for Zabel's record.

 

[Jerkovin]

I just find it pretty premature to write off his sprinting ability based on one season at 24 years old. His whole general level has been down on 2013. Form comes and goes.

 

[argyllflyer]

I just find it pretty premature to write off his sprinting ability based on one season at 24 years old. His whole general level has been down on 2013. Form comes and goes.

Then again sporting history is littered with people who were exceptional as young athletes who begin to tail off earlier than expected. Wayne Rooney in football is not a bad example of that. His manager wanted to play him at 15 but was prevented by Premier League rules. Now people (such as Paul Scholes) talk of him having peaked at 26, being physically burned out at 28 and on the quick road to retirement.

Whatever has gone wrong for Sagan this year, I hope he can find the answer soon.

 

[Jerkovin]

Then again sporting history is littered with people who were exceptional as young athletes who begin to tail off earlier than expected. Wayne Rooney in football is not a bad example of that. His manager wanted to play him at 15 but was prevented by Premier League rules. Now people (such as Paul Scholes) talk of him having peaked at 26, being physically burned out at 28 and on the quick road to retirement.

Whatever has gone wrong for Sagan this year, I hope he can find the answer soon.

Much of Rooney's problems are that he's an arrogant, lazy arsehole.

But seriously, that's certainly true. I'm personally not too worried though. He lacked a bit on the sprints but I think his issues are as much mental at the moment - both in terms of tactics/decision making and confidence. If he had made a few smarter decisions, he'd at least have two stages and would be laughing all the way home.

And as much as Tinkoff doesn't sound that fun, I've warmed to it after this tour. Not only will he learn so much from riding alongside the likes of Contador, Majkal and even Rogers, but if there's anything we learnt from this tour, it's that he can't do it all on his own anymore.

Today's race (well, technically yesterday in the UK) pretty much summed it up. Towards the end all the teams of all the main contenders had shoved their way to the front. Then there was a lone Sagan searching for a wheel to follow and ending up miles from the action when everyone started to sprint.