• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Teams & Riders Peter Sagan discussion thread.

Page 214 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
R

Roku

Aug 1, 2016
752
968
12,180
Visit site
Sadly he didn't look good at all. He is a class act when it comes to positioning, bike handling skills. But his sprint was pretty weak.

Hope I'm wrong, I've always been a big Sagan fan, but I don't think he will be able to achieve anything relevant at MSR or the Classics. Maybe minor wins, but that's probably it.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Sandisfan
Screecher

Screecher

Mar 26, 2017
678
152
10,180
Visit site
It most likely isn't covid, riders get tested frequently and there were no news of him being positive. He however might have some sort of viral or bacterial infection as he was reported to be sick last week. My guess is that he never fully recovered and the effort he put in yesterday caused his symptoms to reappear.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
S

Salvarani

BANNED
Oct 15, 2017
12,044
10,856
23,180
Visit site
Faserr said:
Perhaps riders are more likely to get sick after getting Covid? Schachmann had to quit Paris-Nice because he isn feeling bad. He had Covid for 2 weeks, too.
Click to expand...

Our "regular" diseases have not been as widespread during covid. Since many of us has worked from home and so on. A lot of us might have lost a bit of resistance to the regular viruses/bacterias that are around in normal every day life. Easier to get sick.
 
  • Like
Reactions: stonerider, Sandisfan and Faserr
ij74

ij74

Sep 6, 2021
92
126
1,880
Visit site
I guess his form isn´t that bad how many of you claim. Finishing fourth while having fever and stomach issues is pretty impressive if you imagine how it would be if he was healthy. Therefore I would not write off his chances at MSR. After all, Sagan finished right next to WVA during the last year´s race and don´t forget it was his first race after getting covid.

Btw, there were some rumours that Sagan might go to Milano-Torino to get some kilometres before MSR. Hopefully, we can see him at both of these Italian classics.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
S

Salvarani

BANNED
Oct 15, 2017
12,044
10,856
23,180
Visit site
It seems he is done at WT-level...

He is 32 years old... cant see him getting back into shape. Not on this team.

If he wanted to have another great year or so, before he retired. He should have gone to a QS, Ineos, Jumbo or something. Taken a pay-cut with more bonuses.

He has had bad luck with injuries and sickness. Turbulence in his private life. That sure can affect your performances, but he also seems to have lost the hunger. He came into the pro peloton early, so maybe it is just natural. Either way feels like he just milks it now. If something doesnt happen, I cant see him riding past 2023.

Hope there is still something left for a few more wins, but right now he is a shadow of himself. He needs a confidence boost. Send him to a lower level race, so he might get the feeling back from winning. It is underrated what that could do and has done for other riders recently. Just look at a guy like Cavendish last year (but he also took the pay-cut and got on a great team).
 
  • Like
  • Sad
Reactions: Sandisfan and ij74
ij74

ij74

Sep 6, 2021
92
126
1,880
Visit site
Salvarani said:
It seems he is done at WT-level...

He is 32 years old... cant see him getting back into shape. Not on this team.

If he wanted to have another great year or so, before he retired. He should have gone to a QS, Ineos, Jumbo or something. Taken a pay-cut with more bonuses.

He has had bad luck with injuries and sickness. Turbulence in his private life. That sure can affect your performances, but he also seems to have lost the hunger. He came into the pro peloton early, so maybe it is just natural. Either way feels like he just milks it now. If something doesnt happen, I cant see him riding past 2023.

Hope there is still something left for a few more wins, but right now he is a shadow of himself. He needs a confidence boost. Send him to a lower level race, so he might get the feeling back from winning. It is underrated what that could do and has done for other riders recently. Just look at a guy like Cavendish last year (but he also took the pay-cut and got on a great team).
Click to expand...
I think this is the main issue here because he should be able to get back into form as a 32-years old guy. Basically, Sagan has won everything he possibly could (except M-SR). I remember him saying "it´s not hard to win a race, much harder is to be at the top for several years," and he managed to do so for a decade. Naturally, he has not that hunger anymore. At least, not same like new guys who still have a lot to prove and win.

To address your last point about confidence boost, I truly do not think he needs that. The issue isn´t in his confidence but legs. Much better would be some longer training camp where he can get into shape and simultaneously lost some kilos.

Besides that, it would be better if he can set up specific objectives for the season and not to try catch everything – in that way, he´ll win nothing. Rather just focusing on a particular type of race.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ilmaestro99
SafeBet

SafeBet

Sep 2, 2011
16,316
10,911
28,180
Visit site
ij74 said:
To address your last point about confidence boost, I truly do not think he needs that.
Click to expand...
Yeah I agree with that. He's still the same rider he used to be, incredible at surfing wheels and positioning himself in the bunch, but he lacks the legs to follow attacks (or attack himself).
Just watch yesterday's race: he was always in the very first part of the group until it exploded on the Taaienberg, then he disappeared.
 
  • Like
  • Sad
Reactions: Sandisfan and ij74
A

AlfaLum

Mar 13, 2021
954
1,381
7,180
Visit site
I think in any given sport it is just incredibly hard to stay at the top for a long time.

I also think that for a guy like Sagan, who has a certain character it is not very motivating to be just below the top.

So in that sense I think that his demise comes from two sides. He isn’t good enough anymore to be the real world class. And because he isn’t world class anymore it is hard to stay motivated for him to reach his best possible level.

Hopefully we will see him back at a level where he can be a good outsider for the biggest races again, but for me it is doubtful.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
D

DaLong

Aug 29, 2020
283
381
3,730
Visit site
SafeBet said:
Yeah I agree with that. He's still the same rider he used to be, incredible at surfing wheels and positioning himself in the bunch, but he lacks the legs to follow attacks (or attack himself).
Just watch yesterday's race: he was always in the very first part of the group until it exploded on the Taaienberg, then he disappeared.
Click to expand...
Good points. I was watching him closely and this E3 was a good barometer of where he's at. He was exposed a bit too much in the beginning, unsure why. He was in ideal position heading into the Taaienberg, then once WvA put down watts he went backwards. Surprisingly he got in when the Ineos led G2 and hung with them for a while albeit towards the back third of the pack. Once they began to shred the pack at about 65 km between the Boigneberg and the Eikenberg he just went backwards even further. No profound analysis here but I did think it showed he was gassed and may have actually been dropped on the flat due to the pace Ineos was setting, which was disappointing. It was fun seeing him on the front for a while I suppose.

Maybe I should just enjoy watching him participate and work for Turgis.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
B

Bolder

Jun 25, 2015
4,611
4,089
21,180
Visit site
ij74 said:
I think this is the main issue here because he should be able to get back into form as a 32-years old guy. Basically, Sagan has won everything he possibly could (except M-SR). I remember him saying "it´s not hard to win a race, much harder is to be at the top for several years," and he managed to do so for a decade. Naturally, he has not that hunger anymore. At least, not same like new guys who still have a lot to prove and win.
Click to expand...

He went really hard for 8 solid years, mostly in the classics on weakish teams, but also finishing the Tour every year and holding form till the WCs. It might be that he just doesn't have anything left in the tank.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom