But its not really a secondary Jersey. Its the biggest prize in the sport for a sprinter.
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But its not really a secondary Jersey. Its the biggest prize in the sport for a sprinter.
Just because he has the record doesn't mean he wants to win it more. As happytramp said that is the biggest prize for a sprinter. Plus he gets to stand on a podium in Paris with the most eyes on him he will ever have unless he finds Olympic success. Not to discount his classic success or trying to win more in that area as well. He is driven by winning and that is what makes him and others in cycling and other sports great/legends. It is like Brady answering his favorite Super Bowl ring is "The next one, that's my favorite ring.".
I think he needs these type of things happen to stay motivated. A fight. A goal. Something to prove and that could trigger him. For a rider to still be as hungry for victory speaks volume of the guys character.
He makes some bad calls and was rightfully relegated a couple of days ago. He just wants to win that bad. To a point where he becomes his biggest enemy. People like that almost blacks-out and doesnt really think about what they are doing. Sometimes they win through brilliant moves, or they take a huge risk and get a bad outcome. He has been around long enough to see himself become the villain. You see at all the time in what people write or say about him.
He is not fastest anymore, but he is still strong. The wins will be fewer and he will have to make some better tactical moves in races. In his earlier career he maybe could win anyway, but there many others around now. Say what you will, but it would be pretty dull without him.
He makes some bad calls and was rightfully relegated a couple of days ago. He just wants to win that bad. To a point where he becomes his biggest enemy. People like that almost blacks-out and doesnt really think about what they are doing. Sometimes they win through brilliant moves, or they take a huge risk and get a bad outcome. He has been around long enough to see himself become the villain. You see at all the time in what people write or say about him.
He is not fastest anymore, but he is still strong. The wins will be fewer and he will have to make some better tactical moves in races. In his earlier career he maybe could win anyway, but there many others around now. Say what you will, but it would be pretty dull without him.
If its the biggest prize in the sport for a sprinter then why did Kittel or Greipel never won it even in years where they were clearly the best sprinter in the Tour?
The answer is quite simple, the green jersey is not a prize for the best sprinter but a prize for a consistent sprinter that climbs and recovers well. Sagan ticks all of this boxes and that's why he is so successful in this particular jersey.
I think its good for Sagan to still have goals at this stage of this career but it would make much more sense if those goals new things like the Ardennes classics or a Giro points jersey giving room for Ackermann to race in the Tour (he deserves it).
I am a big fan of Sagan but Bora made a huge mistake here. With this field (Groenewegen, Jacobsen out), they could easily win 3 stages with Ackermann (including Chaps - Elysees) if they forget the idea of chasing another green.
Non marked Sagan with no pressure could go to breaks and add one stage and a couple of podiums too. It could be vice versa. Ackermann in green could be the extra bonus as Bora would do the same to Bennett what DQS is doing to Sagan right now.
Now frustrated Sagan will have a problem to even win the stage in Giro and probably no chance for point jersey either. And I am not (edited) talking about my frustration of watching the classics without Sagan in it.
Non marked Sagan with no pressure could go to breaks and add one stage and a couple of podiums too. It could be vice versa. Ackermann in green could be the extra bonus as Bora would do the same to Bennett what DQS is doing to Sagan right now.
Now frustrated Sagan will have a problem to even win the stage in Giro and probably no chance for point jersey either. And I am not (edited) talking about my frustration of watching the classics without Sagan in it.
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Yeah, I felt they should have done the same with bennett last year too... Although Sagan obviously didn't want to share top billing with another sprinter in the same team and he gets to call the shots. Personally I think it could work because there will always be flattish stages that a sprinter won't win but a guy like Sagan will... They'd have had to give up going for the green Jersey though, you can't really have two riders sprinting against each other trying to take points from one another.
Sagan is obsessing over the Green Jersey because he can't win a bunch sprint anymore. He's weak and is not even going to race the Classics this year because he knows he has no chance against Wout, MvdP or others. Since the Tour of California has stopped his yearly win totals will go way down...if he wins at all.
Sagan is the team’s main source of publicity, the main face for sponsorship purposes, their meal ticket. There were very strong reasons to make him the focus of the Tour team last year and this year, regardless of the fact that Ackermann and Bennett are faster big bunch sprinters. Sagan winning a stage and Green last year brought more attention than three Bennett stage wins would have. Even if Sagan wins nothing at all this year - and that’s very far from certain - him as central protagonist in a big Green jersey battle brings more attention than three Ackermann stage wins.
Sagan at the Tour usually equals success, but it always equals publicity. If his drought continues and his star starts to fade, maybe the calculations will have changed by the 2021 Tour. Maybe not. The team exist to sell kitchen fume extractors, bathroom fittings and bikes, not to absolutely maximise their sporting return.
As for Sagan chasing Green because he can’t win bunch sprints anymore, he has never been a reliable winner of big bunch sprints against the very top specialists. He doesn’t have the top speed of a Ewan/Bennett/Ackermann, but he didn’t have the top speed of a Kittel/Cavendish/Greipel either. He has always had to win against the elite through guile, positioning or by being better on a trickier parcours.
Sagan at the Tour usually equals success, but it always equals publicity. If his drought continues and his star starts to fade, maybe the calculations will have changed by the 2021 Tour. Maybe not. The team exist to sell kitchen fume extractors, bathroom fittings and bikes, not to absolutely maximise their sporting return.
As for Sagan chasing Green because he can’t win bunch sprints anymore, he has never been a reliable winner of big bunch sprints against the very top specialists. He doesn’t have the top speed of a Ewan/Bennett/Ackermann, but he didn’t have the top speed of a Kittel/Cavendish/Greipel either. He has always had to win against the elite through guile, positioning or by being better on a trickier parcours.
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So many bad takes in this post.
Picking both Ackermann (with a train) and Sagan means to resign their GC ambitions. For a team focused on GC Sagan is much better choice than any sprinter bar W. Van Aert.
Moreover BORA has very unlucky Tour. They could easily have two/three stage wins do far.
I've heard rumours that he could quit racing on the road after 2021 and ride MTB (Specialized would probably still pay him good money). It looks like he tries to get as much money as possible out of this (and possibly also the next) season.
Regarding the focus on the green jersey, he rides on a German team and they are kinda obsessed with the boring Zabel-jersey.
the (with a train) part is particularly important. He is one of the very fastest sprinters but he is not good at fending for himself. If you want to get the most return from his speed you need a train or at least two strong dedicated leadout men positioning him.
I dont think Sagan even had a chance of beating Trentin in the race for green despite appearing to be annoyed at Trentin contesting the intermediate sprints earlier in the race. So even if Bennett has some kind of nightmare Sagan still isn't favourite.
Glad for Bora they got a consolation prize, a good team with bad luck with the form of their two main stars.
Glad for Bora they got a consolation prize, a good team with bad luck with the form of their two main stars.
Deceuninck is the reason why Trentin got this close. Sagan was marked, Trentin wasn't. I don't think they'll allow any more Trentin shenanigans though.
Peter Sagan just doesn't have the kick anymore. We saw glimpses of it in 2019. In 2018, he won 3 stages. 2017, Disqualified. 2016, 3 stages.
This year, he's been soft pedaling with about 30 meters to go (or so.) He seems to give up for the last few pedal strokes because he knows he can't win. So from 100 meters out, he seems to have already lost the sprint.
Maybe he can focus on classics, or MTB??
This year, he's been soft pedaling with about 30 meters to go (or so.) He seems to give up for the last few pedal strokes because he knows he can't win. So from 100 meters out, he seems to have already lost the sprint.
Maybe he can focus on classics, or MTB??
For some reason the peleton hasn't allowed Sagan to go into breaks, even though Bennett would be on his wheel - It's been a strange dynamic in this race.
He finished second in a big bunch sprint on this Tour. He was relegated for a dangerous move, but that doesn’t change that he had the speed to come second. So there is still speed there.
why he is losing to Morkov at intermediates is a bit of a mystery but it certainly isn’t because Morkov is just faster than him now
why he is losing to Morkov at intermediates is a bit of a mystery but it certainly isn’t because Morkov is just faster than him now
I don’t think that’s such a mystery! The two teams have been engaged in continuous hand to hand combat over Green.
Bora have managed to deny Bennett two likely opportunities to participate in a bunch sprint. So DQS won’t be feeling magnanimous. Tactically speaking they know that Bennett scores more points every time they hit an intermediate as part of a bunch because he’s faster. They also know that Sagan is a wiley old fox who might give Bennett the slip in a break and that he’s more likely to survive to the end in a break that has to go over tough territory. They’ve no reason to allow Sagan the chance to win as long as he’s In the contest for Green.
if he’s going to get in a break it will have to be in circumstances where it can’t be controlled. If he’s ostentatiously given up on Green and stopped contesting intermediated ages ago, he’d have been let go. As it is stage 19 is still his best chance for a win. But it won’t be easy.
It has nothing to do with Quick Step - Bennett is always on Sagan's wheel so you are allowing both to get into the break if the peleton gives permission - Of course QS will chase Sagan down for the intermediate if Bennett is not on his wheel BUT this has rarely been the case - It's a peleton issue.
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