Peter Sagan of Cannondale Pro Cycling Team (formerly Liquigas-Cannondale) has confirmed that Milan-San Remo, “The Primavera” will be the first goal of his 2013 season. The 22-year-old Slovakian won’t participate in Paris-Roubaix and the UCI Worlds in Florence.
Before heading to Los Angeles for the Cannondale Pro Cycling Team official presentation on January 13, he told La Gazzetta Dello Sport that he will ride the Tour de San Luis in Argentina between 21-27 January. He added: “After that, I’ll ride the Tour of Oman, Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, Gent-Wevelgem and the Amstel Gold Race.”
Sagan is often compared to Eddy Merckx in recent days, and seems to have the same hunger, ability, and self-confidence with “The Cannibal”.
He told Gazzetta: “I like it (being compared to Merckx). It’s difficult to say who is my biggest rival. I’m suited to lots of different kinds of finishes and so I’m always up against different rivals. But I can beat them all.”
Sagan added he probably won’t compete in Paris-Roubaix and UCI Road World Championships in Florence.
“Milan-Sanremo is my first goal because it’s the first Classic, while Flanders and Roubaix are the races I dream about winning. I’d love to win the world title one year too but the course in Florence is too tough for me this time.”
Sagan is unlikely to ride Paris-Roubaix in 2013, despite being a former Junior world mountain bike world champion.
The reason, said Sagan, is his position on the bike: he sits high and forward on the saddle, so his center of gravity makes his bounce, and often loses control of his bike on the pave. He is expected to gradually change his position on the bike, but not before the spring.
“I’ve got to continue to develop and mature. I’ve got to become stronger in every type of race. It’s easy to say I’ve got to improve on the climbs but I’ve also got to be good in sprints too.”
“I’ve been doing more or less the same things for three years. I’ve always improved and so I don’t want to change too much for now.”
Sagan has won 36 races since he turned professional in 2010. He is considered by some to be one of cycling’s most promising young talents, as he earned some prestigious victories in his early twenties. Proofs of this statement come in the following victories:
- Two stages at Paris-Nice in 2010
- One stage at the Tour de Romandie
- Two stages and the overall classification at the Tour de Pologne
- A record eight stage victories at the Tour of California (in 2012 5 stages total and the first 4 consecutive stages)
- Six stage wins at the Tour de Suisse
- The overall classification and three stages of the Giro di Sardegna.
He also won six stages at Grand Tours, having won three at the Vuelta a España in 2011 and three at the Tour de France in 2012, helping him secure the Points classifications’ green jersey, as pictured above.
Sources
- Peter Sagan on Wikipedia
- What is a Satellite Rider? [Explained] - July 24, 2024
- Tour de France Winner Groupsets [Year by Year, from 1937 to 2024] - July 21, 2024
- Top 18 fastest Paris-Roubaix editions - April 7, 2024
