It’s early evening when I speak to British dance music pioneer, Pete Tong, squeezed in the minutes on his schedule between a spin class and a sound bath in central London.

The room is scattered with cameras and laptops and notebooks lying open on their spines. But when I ask Tong about cycling, he’s transported somewhere different, eyes in the middle distance, remembering the chopper bike he’d ride around North Kent on as a kid, to the Specialized StumpJumper he’d tour round Richmond Park two decades later.

“Probably in the late 90s, I became aware of the rise of Lance Armstrong - that kind of just reached me somehow," Tong smiles, taking me through the timeline of his love affair with cycling.

"It's a bit like getting into cooking through Jamie Oliver. It was like the sport of cycling kind of came into my consciousness, and I started to take an interest in him and the Tour de France. I was going on these rides on my mountain bike, seeing people come by on their racing bikes in their lycra, and I just realised, what the f*** am I doing? I've got to switch.”

Tong is world-famous. Despite being the BBC’s longest serving DJ, with his own signature saying and dance orchestra, the 65-year-old is calm, thoughtful, relaxed. Whatever impact the decades of late-night sets and Ibiza partying has had on him, it’s impossible to tell.

He puts it down to cycling: “It’s kind of an antidote, really. It’s kind of meditative to get out on a bike, and know that because you were going to get out on a bike the next day, you couldn't go to the after party, so it kind of kept me sane."

Tong’s cycled in Ibiza, in the Cotswolds, all around his old London home, but the best place he’s ever cycled was - indisputably - California.

“I lived in West Hollywood, and I could go up onto Mulholland, going to Griffith Park, and then going out to Pasadena and into the mountains there,” he explains. “The riding is absolutely mind blowing. And that's the only thing I really miss about America. And obviously the weather - even in the winter, it’s a perfect cycling day: blue sky, cold-ish, but not too cold.”

Tong has cycled in more places than most people I know. A life of international travel allows that, but work comes first, and Tong still dreams of tackling Mont Ventoux and L'Étape: “I've just got to clear the decks and just make sure it happens somehow.”

But every summer, Tong’s two loves come together at Joyride Festival. The Ibiza weekender brings together pro riders, Michelin star chefs and wellness experts for a weekend of group rides and evening parties on the island. With tickets starting at £2,300, the exclusive event is beyond the bounds of many of us, but for Tong, it’s an opportunity to party with his heroes - and chase them up climbs too.

“The first celebrity cyclist was Mark Cavendish,” Tong remembers. “We didn't really know what to expect. I just thought it was going to be a laugh when I first got told you get to cycle with him, and then you get to play some records. But we had the most amazing night. Mark Cavendish was in the booth with me the whole night. He grew up listening to me, and he was crying. And I was like, what the f*** is going on in here?! It was amazing.”

The following year, Geraint Thomas came out, followed by Peter Sagan. This summer, Wout van Aert will be coming to the island.

“I'm surprised, he's doing it, but I'm very pleased he's been allowed. I wonder what his team manager will think when he sees him at a rave."

The next wave of tickets for Joyride Festival will be available on the 30th January here - for events both on Ibiza and the Isle of Wight.

Long-term (well, short-term, really) fans of Tweets of the Week might remember a piece I wrote a few months ago about Peter Sagan signing up for a dance show.

“He’s quick on a bike, but how good’s his rumba?” I asked. I had no idea what the show was – it’s called Let’s Dance – and a helpful reader commented that I had misled by comparing it to Strictly Come Dancing, the key difference being that they wouldn’t be able to watch it, which I imagine they were sorely disappointed about.

Life then moved on, the cycling season picked up, and people soon forgot about Sagan’s dance ambitions. That is until this week, when social media reminded us of Slovakia’s foremost celebrity dance series.

More than nine months after his final professional bike race, the three-time world champion made his debut on Let’s Dance, and, if I may say so myself, did a pretty good job.

Cycling fans might already know Sagan as a music lover – he was often in charge of blasting heavy rock on team buses during his career – and he and his partner, Eliška Lenčešová, chose Elvis Presley’s ‘Hound Dog’ as their first number. There was jumping, spinning, thrusting, and even some quite fiery kicking. A solid all-round performance, I thought, but the judges disagreed.

What’s not shown in the social media videos is the scoring that took place afterwards. Unaccustomed to finishing off the podium, Sagan and Lenčešová placed seventh out of the 11 pairings, collecting an average score of just over 5/10. A lowly innings, perhaps, but we must hold faith – there are more weeks to come.

This Sunday, the Slovak will be back on national television, this time waltzing to Nat King Cole’s ‘Unforgettable’. I can’t help but think the seven-time Tour de France green jersey winner might need something a little bit faster-paced to show his full potential, though.

As it turns out, one of the dance styles on the show is called ‘quickstep’ – a rhythm better suited to the former sprinter, and one with a subtle nod to the world of cycling. Expect the stars to align when that week comes.

Elsewhere on social media, Remco Evenepoel swaps his lycra for Pizza Hut garb, a nine-year-old makes light work of the Muur van Gerardsbergen, and Mikel Landa breaks cover as 007.

1. You'll win the judges over next time, Peter

2. Imagine asking for bowls for the salad bar and the Olympic champion turns up at your table

3. Non-Dutch speakers, I've found out this says "Claes = boss", which I don't dispute after last weekend's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

4. Here you have it, the conclusive answer to Tadej Pogačar's Paris-Roubaix plans

5. Now I'm desperate to see the world champion try his hand at track sprinting

6. If you follow non-cycling news (why would you?) you might have read that Amazon has taken over the James Bond franchise. Well, it seems they've already got their next 007 lined up

7. "Do Zwift Academy," they said. "It'll be fun," they said. But nobody mentioned you'd have to race Zoe Bäckstedt laying down 700 watts

8. Let us never forget that Wout van Aert, the ultimate entertainer, dressed up as a squirrel and sang Blur on Belgian TV

9. These wonderkids get younger every season

10. If TNT Sports promised constant bodycam footage from Yves Lampaert, would more people be inclined to sign up?

11. As the old cycling proverb goes: you can ride a bike your whole life, but you will never clip in first time

12. And finally, I'd like to close with a shout-out to Rik Bossuyt, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne's podium escort, who in three years has upgraded from jogging on foot alongside the winner, to riding a scooter, and now to a bike. Porsche next year?

Peter Sagan is doing Strictly Come Dancing. This is not a drill. I repeat, Peter Sagan is doing Strictly Come Dancing.

The news was first announced earlier this week. “I’m ready to swap the bicycle for the dance floor!” the three-time world champion wrote on Instagram. “Soon you will be able to see my switch from sprinting to disco.”

It’s an exciting prospect, and after all, why not? Having retired in June last year – after a brief spell with a team called Pierre Baguette (surprisingly not French) – the Slovak has been on an adventure-seeking spree. He rode a water bike across the Mediterranean Sea, raced in a gravel event through the Saudi desert, and went skiing in the Dolomites. Now, he wants to boogie.

Hold tight, though, UK viewers. Don’t get ahead of yourselves. You won’t be able to watch Sagan on the BBC. No, the former world champion will appear on the Slovakian version of the show, similarly named ‘Let’s Dance’, with a flurry of his compatriot stars.

I’m not well-versed in Slovak celebrities, but I imagine Sagan’s participation is quite the catch for the programme. A cursory Google search of famous Slovaks puts him among the top of the list, alongside deceased politicians, former Liverpool defender Martin Škrtel and actor Angelina Jolie, whose great-grandfather was apparently born in the city of Košice in 1847.

Škrtel and Jolie won't be on the latest series. Instead, Sagan will join a growing list of cyclists who have participated in the series. Track sprinter Victoria Pendleton appeared on the UK version in late 2012, months after winning keirin gold at the Olympics. More recently, nine-time Paralympic gold medallist Jody Cundy strutted his stuff on the show.

I spoke to Jody about his Strictly experience at the National Track Championships last year. “I loved it,” he told me. In fact, he reckoned it made him a stronger cyclist. “Mainly because of the stability and the balance that I got from all the dancing and all the dance exercises,” he said.

Sagan, of course, now six months retired, is not fussed about how good it will be for his training. He’s just looking to have fun and emulate his dancing idol. Who's his dancing idol? None other than Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze. At least according to a press release it is, anyway.

“I plan to enjoy it and put on a big show,” Sagan said. I'm sure he'll be having the time of his life, just like Swayze. .

Elsewhere on social media this week, Lidl-Trek riders take on Buckaroo, Alexander Kristoff holds himself together for a photo, and Demi Vollering has a mini admirer.

1. From the Tour to the dance floor

2. I don't know what's more surreal: seeing Sagan perform a ballet plié, or seeing him in normal clothes

3. It turns out I've been using my saddle wrong for years

4. Christmas was only a few weeks ago, give the guy a break

5. Gaming and Zwifting? A match made in heaven

6. I wouldn't recommend playing Buckaroo while you Zwift though

7. Road cyclists will go to any lengths to avoid putting panniers on their carbon bikes

8. Yes, the new GB kit's nice, but where's the dog's skinsuit?

9. Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale's Benoît Cosnefroy has been out enjoying the snow. Hang on a second...

10. Swipe for EF Education's ins and outs for 2025. I, for one, am delighted that carbs are still in vogue

11. If you want to become a pro cyclist, you need to learn how to pose like them, and eight-year-old Gioia already has the art down to a tee

12. Finally, Max Goold won an Australian national title on Wednesday. He was rewarded with a brand-new bruise on his back, courtesy of a barrier he crashed into by the finish line

This article is part of a series called ‘A love letter to…’, where Cycling Weekly writers pour praise on their favourite aspects of cycling. The below content is unfiltered, authentic and has not been paid for.

I was an anomaly as a child. While all my friends at primary school were playing football, grazing their knees, and pretending to be the stars from the Panini sticker albums, I had a very different sporting hobby.

I would happily sit for hours with my friends, filling the pages of my own football sticker book, but what gave me more of a thrill involved two wheels and a bright orange cycling kit that I was given for Christmas one year.

If you haven't figured out where I’m going with this, let me give you a hand. While the rest of my generation wanted to be Premier League footballers, I was busy pretending to be random Basque cyclists that nobody else had heard of, dressed in my prized Euskaltel-Euskadi kit as I tore round the roads of Oxfordshire.

I didn’t own an Orbea bike, but that didn’t matter. As far as I was concerned, this was my first step towards being a pro cyclist in the Tour de France one day in the distant future.

There was one stumbling block though: I was never that fast at that age. Often, a bigger, stronger and older rider would soar past me, sometimes aided by a lighter and more expensive bike, it has to be said. But I played to my strengths and utilised my secret weapon on the downhills: tailwinds.

Twelve-year-old me would battle with everything I had to keep pace with other, more powerful riders when tackling the uphills, imagining I was Iban Mayo (we’ll forget the EPO for now) or one of the other Basque climbing sensations riding on the team whose kit I was decked out in.

But then the image I adopted would shift when I hit the top and sensed a tailwind coming behind me at just the right time for the descent. I knew deep down I was never going to make it to the pro scene, although catching a tailwind on the way home from a ride in my younger days gave me the brief illusion that I just might.

Knowing I had the wind on my back, I’d rocket down descents before powering up one of the short, sharp climbs that littered the local area. I'd switch my imagination, and channel my inner Peter Sagan making a bid for victory in a major Classic, instead of a gangly Basque climber on a mountain stage of the Tour.

All I needed was a team manager to drive past and I was certain they’d soon be waving a contract and a pen out of the window, urging me to sign.

Yet, all along, I knew it was really the tailwind doing all the work. The breeze was the power behind my imaginary victories at Paris-Roubaix. But a kid can dream, right?

A little part of me still sees that same kid within me now when I get out riding. Nothing could beat that sense of power, freedom and energy that my bike gave me in those days, even if my actual ability was masked somewhat by the weather now and again.

But that never really mattered. What mattered more was that escapism that I could look forward to while sitting in a dreary classroom on a Wednesday afternoon.

I still get that extra shot of adrenaline when I sense a tailwind behind me now at the age of 32, particularly when there’s Strava awards up for grabs in my local area. I might not be a pro, but I'll always try and challenge the best of them for a wind-assisted KOM.

The UCI ESports World Championships crowned its 2024 rainbow jersey winners in October, with cycling stars such as Tadej Pogačar and Peter Sagan on hand to witness the historic first event held with a live audience. Sagan showed particular enthusiasm and could be seen growing increasingly enthralled by the burgeoning discipline.

The 34-year-old Slovak retired from the WorldTour at the end of 2023 after a long and storied career, which saw him win 12 individual stages at the Tour de France and the green points jersey on seven occasions. He also won three consecutive road world titles in 2015, 2016 and 2017. And among his long list of one-day race wins are the prestigious Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders classics.

Following his road racing career, Sagan pivoted to his first love –mountain biking– while also taking on the role of brand ambassador for the virtual cycling platform MyWhoosh. Could esports be next for the 'The Hulk'?

"There's no point to just race in a World Championships in ecycling for 50th place, or maybe worse, or ten positions better," Peter Sagan dismissed during a press conference at the esports world championships, emphasizing that his presence in Abu Dhabi was merely ceremonial.

As a brand ambassador for the host of the event, Sagan took to the stage only to introduce the event alongside UAE Team Emirates' megastar Tadej Pogačar.

"No, I don't want to race anymore," he commented. "I will enjoy watching the World Championships tomorrow. But you won't see me racing anymore."

Yet, he did leave the door cracked open ever so slightly for the future with a "who knows?" and a shrug.

And while Sagan sat in the crowd, witnessing the 22 men, and 20 women compete for the fourth world title in the unique discipline's short history, an unexpected newfound fandom emerged.

As the 2024 edition of the championship's three-stage race unfolded, Sagan grew visibly more engaged. He didn’t have to stay the entire time, but he did, seemingly more excited by the competition than exchanging pleasantries.

By the final stage, he stood intently, eyes fixed on Jason Osborne, the eventual men's champion.

Was he having second thoughts about joining the growing list of pros who've extended their careers into virtual racing? Osborne himself just recently stepped away from WorldTour team Alpecin Deceuninck to focus solely on esports.

"No. I don't think so, but I know that the racers are training a lot and are good, and I'm not interested in competing with them because I know they are strong, and it doesn’t make sense to me. I did what I did and don't want to compare myself with anyone anymore," Sagan explained.

But his body language told a different story. This raises the question: if he lined up against the emerging discipline's stars, would he have what it takes to be competitive?

During Stage 2 of the 2024 esports world title campaign, Osborne powered away on the decisive climb, averaging an impressive 560W (8.3 w/kg) to crest the summit in 3:55, ultimately soloing to victory.

Sagan was never one to divulge his performance statistics but there's a paucity of published power data.

Interestingly, albeit unconfirmed, on July 3, 2012, The Athlete Clinic reported that he averaged 490W for the last 2.5 minutes of his 2013 Tour de France Stage One victory before going on to win the first of his eight consecutive Green Jerseys (not counting his 2017 disqualification).

The ~6.62 w/kg effort was almost two w/kg less than Osborne's but perhaps more impressive after five hours in the saddle and under strikingly different circumstances.

Equally impressive is Sagan's climb to Chieti, which set up his Stage 10 Giro d'Italia win in 2020, an early race effort of 440W (5.9 w/kg) for 21:30, as reported by Zach Nehr.

Cycling esports is a unique discipline; racers compete under different conditions. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison by any means, but the exceptional performances required to win are no different, and the athletes are continually raising the bar towards legitimacy and recognition.

"There are esports specialists," agreed Sagan, "I don't want to say it's a different sport, but you have to learn the platform. It's a skill to learn."

This distinction is crucial for an evolving discipline striving to establish its identity within the cycling world and emerge from doubt’s shadows.

MyWhoosh serves as the official indoor cycling platform for UAE Team Emirates and is the host of the UCI Cycling Esports World Championships for the next three years, with team principal Mauro Gianetti on its board. In collaboration with WorldTour team coaches, MyWhoosh developed a proprietary set of maximum performance data points.

Each athlete has predefined thresholds in the game based on pre-verification testing and data provided by MyWhoosh’s coaching team. If a rider who isn’t a WorldTour pro surpasses these thresholds, the system triggers an alert.

Belgian esports star Lionel Vujasin, the 2024 silver medalist who stood one step below Osborne on the podium, has dedicated his career entirely to esports since his high-profile CVR World Cup live event victory in Vancouver in 2018. Known for his pro-level performances, Vujasin has been triggering these alerts for years.

To dispel any doubt, MyWhoosh brought Vujasin and several other top riders to Abu Dhabi for in-house performance testing. Vujasin produced impressive results, delivering 453W (6.5 w/kg) for twelve minutes, 567W (8.1 w/kg) for three minutes, and 617W (8.8 w/kg) for two minutes.

For context, though we’ve established that direct comparisons are difficult, Oscar Onley recorded 556W (9 w/kg) for two minutes and 8 w/kg for over three minutes during Stage 2 of the 2024 Tour Down Under. Meanwhile, Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard averaged over 6.8 w/kg for twelve minutes on the Puy de Dôme during Stage 9 of the 2023 Tour de France.

Will Sagan step into the virtual arena in 2025? Probably not. Has he developed a newfound respect for the sport and its athletes, and maybe even become a fan? All signs point to yes.

"Someone is going to win," Sagan explains. "And every sport where you can win is important if you decide to do it. If somebody decides that they want to win this thing, that is important. It's like it is to win Paris Roubaix. It was important for me because I had always been committed and wanted to win. This is no different."

Peter Sagan rode his final professional UCI race on Sunday at the Slovakian national mountain bike championships and finished second. 

The former three-time road world champion was initially expected to permanently retire from professional racing after the Paris Olympics. But as Slovakia did not qualify for the mountain bike cross-country event he has opted to immediately retire from competition due to recent health issues. 

Sagan retired from the road last year after riding his final WorldTour race with his former team Total Energies. He also competed at one final world championships in Scotland last summer. 

Announcing the details of his final race on Sunday morning, Sagan’s current team Pierre Baguette said: "After the health problems that Peter Sagan had this year, he decided to end his professional career also in mountain biking today at the Slovak National MTB Championships in Košice."

Sagan experienced what is known as a tachycardic episode during a mountain bike event in Spain earlier this year. He then underwent two separate heart procedures in order to attempt to correct the issue. 

Throughout the process, Sagan’s representatives made clear that it would have little impact on his competition schedule. As they predicted, he soon returned to racing and rode the Tour de Hongrie on the road as well as several other mountain bike races. 

However, despite Sagan’s final mountain bike appearances, Slovakia did not qualify to send any riders to Paris for the Olympics. 

“We are so proud of you Peter and thank you for everything,” his team said on Sunday evening on social media. 

Sagan’s illustrious career saw him win endless one day races as well as stages at all three Grand Tours. The 34-year-old won 12 individual stages at the Tour de France and the green points jersey on seven occasions. 

As well as his three consecutive road world titles in 2015, 2016 and 2017, he also won Paris-Roubaix in 2018 while wearing the rainbow bands. He also won the Tour of Flanders as world champion. 

His final road appearance was on home roads at the Tour of Slovakia. 

"I still remember my first stage at the Tour Down Under on January 19th, 2010," Sagan wrote on his Instagram page after the race. 

"I was just a young kid, not even 20 yet, and I would never have imagined back then that I would have such a long and fruitful career in this sport.

"It's been a long road, with its ups and downs, and ending my road racing career in the Tour of Slovakia, surrounded by the support and love of my fellow Slovaks, is a memory I will cherish forever."

After announcing his retirement and undergoing two heart surgeries, Peter Sagan is racing on the road again. 

It's news that has come to the surprise of cycling fans worldwide. This week, at the Tour de Hongrie, the three-time world champion is back in the peloton, riding in the red hue of a team called Pierre Baguette. 

Pierre Baguette? Yes, Pierre Baguette, a Continental team from Slovakia, albeit with a misleading French ring to its name. 

For the team's founder, Boris Horváth, Sagan's name on the start list was no surprise. In fact, it's the fruit of a plan hatched six years ago. Then, when Horváth first thought about starting a cycling squad, he did it with one aim in mind: "To have Peter Sagan," he says. 

Naturally, as a Slovak founding a Slovak team, Horváth aspired to enrol the country's greatest ever cyclist. "I had no plan B," he tells Cycling Weekly. "We went step by step, and every year, we've been getting bigger and bigger, stronger and stronger.

"Six years ago I really didn't know Peter. I just had it on my mind. I met him in Gran Canaria on a camp in 2020, during Covid, and I stopped him in training and started talking to him. [I did it] again, again, again, again. I helped him with some things and we became friends."

Two years later, Horváth started up his team, then made up of just 10 riders, all from Slovakia. He then upped the commercial deals in 2023, bringing on sandwich manufacturer, and now title sponsor, Pierre Baguette. 

"They've been on the market about 26 years," he says of the Slovak company. "There are two owners – one of them is a cyclist. Three years ago, I wrote to him saying I wanted to make this project. When we started, they didn't fully believe in it, so at first they didn't give us any financial support, just baguettes and sandwiches. After one year, they saw that everything I thought had happened, so we made a small deal, and this year it's bigger."

With the funds in place, Horváth began laying the foundations to sign Sagan. 

The best way to do this, he decided, was to set the team up with some of the former world champion's favourite people. He brought in Peter's brother, Juraj, as a sports director in 2023, before adding Ján Valach, another sports director, who had previously followed the Slovak from team to team. 

"The base point of my idea was to create a family for Peter, not a team that will put pressure on him," Horváth says. "The only way to do this was to take Juraj and Ján and make him smile and have fun in cycling again. 

"Peter believes these people. Honestly, I'm just a guy who loves cycling, but I don't know anything about big cycling. I want to change Slovak cycling, I want to help, but I don't know what to do. Without Juraj and Ján, I would not be able to give the conditions to Peter to race today."

At the end of last year, Horváth's dream became reality. Sagan signed a one-year contract with Pierre Baguette, a deal, the team founder says, that was "not easy to make". Does it cost a lot to have a rider like him in the squad? "The answer to this is a point of view," Horváth laughs. "If you are a millionaire, this costs not a lot. If you are an ordinary man, it's a lot."

Already, he's seeing returns on the investment. "In one day, we got about 2,000 followers on Instagram," Horváth says. The 12-time Tour de France stage winner has also brought new sponsors to the team, including his personal bike partner, Specialized, and, crucially, his fame.

"It's important for the marketing," Horváth says of Sagan's presence. In the next few years, the founder hopes Pierre Baguette will be able to step up to Pro-Continental level. "We want to grow, and you need strong partners," he explains. "Unfortunately, at the end of the day, it's only about money. The partner wants visibility of their name, and [signing Sagan] gives us everything for this."

Still, Horváth is keen to underline, this is not the reason he signed Sagan. "For me, the most important thing is the emotion," he says. "For the guys, this is a miracle. They're riding with a three-time world champion. This is the emotion. The most important thing for me is that Peter gives emotion and gives the cycling community something back."

What about results? Are there any expectations on the 34-year-old, a serial winner throughout his career? "Right now, nothing," says Horváth. "He's just back from injury, his heart, so right now we are just friends and having fun. We have no expectations, no results."

Looking ahead, what Horváth really wants is to tie Sagan down to Pierre Baguette long-term. The former road world champion’s focus this year is the Paris Olympics, the cross-country mountain bike event, for which he is yet to qualify. Afterwards, Horváth hopes, he’ll sign up for another season on the road. 

"Nothing is definite in this world. But that's my goal, that Peter stays in this project, not just for one year or two years, but stays here," he says. "I think it's a miracle that there's a guy like this on a Continental team." 

Peter Sagan has said he is confident he will be back on his bike in just 15 days after his second heart procedure in a period of three weeks. 

Writing on Instagram, Sagan said that the “pit stop” went well and that he expected to be able to return to training soon. He also shared the medical report from his doctor in the post. 

"Dr. Roberto Corsetti, the Sports Cardiologist who looks after Peter, decided to have a new electrophysiological cardiac assessment performed,” his post read. “Yesterday, March 20th, at the Torrette Lancisi University Hospital in Ancona, a transcatheter ablation for the supraventricular tachycardia was performed by Professor Antonio Dello Russo, in the presence of Dr. Corsetti.”

"I feel very well following the quick pit stop my heart needed and after 15 days of rest I'm confident I will be back on my bike to train," Sagan added. 

The Slovakian had the initial procedure three weeks ago in Italy after experiencing what is known as a tachycardic episode during a mountain bike event in Spain. His return to training was short lived as he experienced further rhythm related issues with his heart meaning that further hospital treatment was required. 

At the time, Sagan’s spokesperson told Cycling Weekly that the issue would have minimal impact on his competition schedule in the coming weeks. Sagan retired from competition on the road at the end of last season with the aim of solely focusing on mountain bike competitions as he looks to qualify for the Paris Olympics this summer. 

It is expected that he will fully retire from cycling after the games, although his recent health issues could impact his chances of achieving qualification. 

According to the UCI website, Slovakia are still some way off from being able to compete and will need a substantial upturn in results in other races in order to ensure they can enter riders in the mountain bike events in Paris. 

Countries ranked between one and eight in the qualification table will be able to field two riders in the cross country race. Those ranked between nine and 19 will be able to field one rider. The ranking period ends at the end of May and Slovakia are currently in 35th place. 

Prior to his second operation, Sagan announced that he had signed a deal to race with the Specialized factory racing MTB team for the 2024 season. 

Peter Sagan will undergo a second heat procedure in the space of a few weeks after his return to training threw up further rhythm related issues with his heart. 

The Slovakian former world champion had the first procedure three weeks ago in Italy after experiencing a tachycardic episode during a mountain bike event in Spain. 

Sagan explained in a post on his Instagram account that he needed a second procedure after his return to training after the first brought further issues to light. 

"While I was training on the rocky trails in Marseille, my heart hit a few bumps," he said. "Nothing to worry about, you could say that my heart needs a pit stop.

"I will undergo surgery next week and thanks to my friend, sports cardiologist Dr. Roberto Corsetti, I am sure I will be back in the saddle very soon."

Sagan retired from competing on the road at the end of last season and is currently solely focusing on mountain biking as he attempts to qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris. 

He is expected to fully step away from cycling after the games although his second surgery and spell on the side lines could potentially jeopardise his chances of qualifying. 

The 33-year-old missed the last games in Tokyo due to injury. He was in the mix for a medal at the cross country event at the games in Rio in 2016 but a mechanical issue with his bike forced him out of the picture. 

The initial issue with his heart sprung up after his heart rate exceeded 200 beats per minute during a recent MTB race in Valencia. Further testing revealed he had experienced episodes of tachycardia during extreme exercise. During the first procedure, doctors fitted Sagan with a monitor to track any irregularity with his cardiac rhythm after ruling out any other serious issues.

It is not currently known when Sagan will be able to return to competition this time round. Cycling Weekly approached his spokesperson for an update on the latest developments.

He recently announced that he had signed a deal with the Specialized factory racing MTB team for the 2024 season. 

"It's nice to be part of this great team and structure. From our first pedal together on a Specialized bike in 2015 to now we haven't just been partners, we are good friends," Sagan said on social media. 

"I look forward to hitting the trails in 2024 with our sleek new Epic8 and our new cool colours."

Peter Sagan has undergone a heart procedure today in hospital in Italy after suffering from a tachycardic episode during a recent mountain bike race in Spain. 

According to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Sagan underwent an ablation procedure at a hospital in Ancona, Italy, today after his heart rate exceeded 200 bpm during a race near Valencia last weekend. 

Further tests were carried out on Sagan earlier this week which revealed he had experienced episodes of tachycardia during extreme exercise. An ablation, which is a procedure in which excess body tissue is removed, is expected to enable him to resume training and competition after a period of recovery. 

The Slovakian retired from the road at the end of last season and is now solely focusing on mountain bike racing as he builds towards the Paris Olympics this summer. He is expected to fully bow out from competition after the mountain bike events in Paris and completely retire from elite sport. 

Sagan had already competed in two MTB events since the turn of the year as he looks to accrue sufficient UCI points in order to help Slovakia qualify for competition in the Olympics. He competed in a race in Chelva, Spain as well as at an event in Abu Dhabi last week. 

La Gazzetta stated that due to his health issues, he will now sit out an upcoming event in Banyoles in which he was expected to race. Sagan was expected to travel to South America this April in order to compete in the first UCI World Cup events of the season in Brazil. 

According to reports he is expected to be able to resume competition at the Marseille France MTB cup later this year. Cycling Weekly reached out to Sagan’s representatives in order to enquire about his expected recovery time. 

Cycling Weekly understands that Sagan will be able to resume training in approximately one weeks time. The procedure is expected to have minimal impact on his planned competition schedule. 

Sagan was forced to sit out competition at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo due to injury. He rode the cross-country mountain bike event at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro but a mechanical issue took him out of medal contention. 

He also competed in the recent mountain bike events at the World Championships in Scotland. Sagan finished 63rd behind the winner, Tom Pidcock, in the cross-country event, 7-14 down on the British rider and reigning Olympic champion.

Peter Sagan has been handed a three month suspended prison sentence, as well as a three month driving ban for a drunk driving offence in Monaco, local media reported on Wednesday. 

The three-time road world champion is set to step away from road racing at the end of the season, turning his attention solely to mountain biking with one eye on the Paris Olympics in 2024. Sagan is due to take part in his final Tour de France which begins this Saturday in Bilbao, Spain. He has won the green jersey at the race a record seven times.

According to a report from Monaco Matin, Sagan was stopped and tested by French police in May after being seen trying to park a scooter after driving recklessly.

The Slovakian did not appear at the court hearing, due to the soon-to-begin Tour de France in Bilbao. 

“It was 11:35 a.m. when the police noticed the risky, even dangerous behaviour of a driver behind the handlebars of his motorised vehicle,” the magistrate said regarding the incident on 12 May, according to the reports.

“The driver was trying to park in a space reserved for two-wheelers. The officers approached and very quickly noticed the signs of the scooter driver’s drunkenness.

“From then on, the rule to be observed was to blow into the breathalyser. The vague suspicions of the officials became a certainty.”

According to Monaco-Matin, Sagan was taken police station in Monaco for a second test which confirmed the Slovakian was over the permitted alcohol limit. 

In court, his lawyers argued that 33-year-old had been feeling the effects of jetlag and a lack of sleep after recently returning from the United States and that he was unaware that his alcohol levels were excessively high. 

He was given a three-month suspended prison sentence for the offence as well as disqualified from driving for the same period, despite these claims.

On Wednesday evening, Sagan issued a statement via his Instagram channel and apologised for his actions. 

He said: "I'm reaching out to tell you I'm deeply sorry for screwing up during a moment of weakness.

"I would like to apologise to my family, my friends, my team, our sponsors, and everybody that supported me.

"I'm committed to learning from this mistake and becoming a better person in the future."

“There’s not pressure anymore about whether I win or lose,” said Peter Sagan, as he announced to the world from San Juan in Argentina that 2023 would be his last season on the road. He is now getting ready to bring the curtain down on what has been a magnificent career in the WorldTour. 

Stepping back from the top level on the road with his team, TotalEnergies, will enable the Slovakian to target one final race, the mountain bike event at the Paris Olympics to wrap up his career on two wheels, something which he explained is all about the “enjoyment” and not about yet another accolade, an Olympic mountain bike gold medal.

“I always said I would like to finish my career on the mountain bike, because I started my career on the mountain bike,” Sagan said. “It gives me some pleasure at the end of my career because I’m doing something I really enjoy.”

That idea of pure, unfiltered enjoyment while riding is something which cycle racing’s perennial showman has encapsulated since day one. Throughout all of his 121 career victories, which has included three successive road World Championships, Sagan has been the literal embodiment of joy on the bike, which at the end of the day, cycling should be about for us all.

As he put the hammer down, and disappeared up the road on the cobbles of Flanders and in the dust of Roubaix, you can imagine him chuckling to himself as he left his rivals in all kinds of disarray, loving every second despite the inevitable pain surging through his legs. “Why so serious?!” says his Joker-inspired Batman tattoo after all, and that’s exactly it with Sagan, he has never taken himself too seriously. 

Like any elite-athlete, there will have always been that undying will to win, but I’ve always had the impression with him that if the two-up raid with Silvan Dillier at Roubaix, or the sprint finish at the Qatar worlds hadn’t come off, he wouldn’t have necessarily cared, as he was simply just loving every second of being in the moment racing his bike instead, and the wins were always just added extra bonuses. 

That famous win at the 2018 Paris-Roubaix will remain one of my personal favourite Sagan moments. As he moved his way through the bunch on that spring afternoon, he casually bunny hopped over road furniture and bounced around like an excited child testing out the new BMX he got for Christmas on the way to school. 

When he eventually found himself in the day's breakaway, he even had time to whip out an allen key and casually adjust his handlebars himself as he thundered towards the Roubaix Velodrome.

When the hallowed track eventually arrived, Sagan kept his cool in the moment, forcing Dillier high onto the banking before swooping towards the line like a rainbow-coloured peregrine falcon hunting its prey. With respect to Dillier, the win was always in the bag, and the harsh reality is that I’m sure the Swiss rider knew that too.

As he sprinted away towards the line, Sagan punched the air with glee as a second monument victory was secured, both while wearing the rainbow bands of the reigning world champion.

Curse of the rainbow jersey? What curse of the rainbow jersey? Nothing more than a ridiculous myth which cycling’s answer to Liam Gallagher kicked well and truly into touch. Julian Alaphilippe should have taken note.

With the emergence of riders of the likes of Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock, Sagan’s days as a top-level classics star were always going to be numbered. With that in mind, he may not win again at WorldTour level, or at least on the biggest stage, in what we now know will be his final year.

Although when you’ve won a record breaking seven-Tour de France green jerseys and 12 individual stages, the world championships on three occasions, Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders, as well as countless other races, what else is there possibly left to win on the road for a rider of his style? 

Milan-San Remo maybe, or even more wins at the Tour. Although if none of that materialises in one final year, you can imagine Sagan won’t care. He’s already had a fine career in elite-level road racing, notching up the kind of palmarès that plenty of pros can only ever dream about. Not only that, but it’s been achieved with bucketful's of panache, style and effervescent personality. 

The word legend gets bandied around in sport far too often, but Peter Sagan really will go down in road racing history as being one. Let’s enjoy the show for one final year while it lasts, as there won’t be a rider like him again.

Three-time road racing world champion, Peter Sagan, today announced that 2023 will be his last season on the WorldTour.

Not done racing, Sagan has instead set his sights on mountain bike "enjoyment" at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, stating:

“I would like to say the moment has arrived. I decided I would like to finish this season as a rider in WorldTour races. I would like to prepare for the Olympic Games in mountain bike," Cycling News reports from Vuelta a San Juan, where Sagan has finished second in the fourth stage yesterday.

“I always said I would like to finish my career on the mountain bike, because I started my career on the mountain bike,” Sagan said. “It gives me some pleasure at the end of my career because I’m doing something I really enjoy."

Sagan, today known for being one of the most powerful and versatile riders in the peloton, began his cycling career in mountain biking as junior. He won the junior cross-country race at the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships before moving to road racing with the Liquigas team.

In January of 201, at the age of 19, Sagan raced is first UCI Pro Tour race at the Tour Down Under. He has since amassed 121 pro race wins, including three world championships titles, 33 Classics victories and 17 grand tour stage wins. Thirteen of those where at the Tour de France where he's also finished in the green sprinter's jersey an unprecedented seven times. 

In recent years, he's dabbled with off-road riding, briefly returning to mountain bike racing at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, attending gravel events like the 100-mile race at Unbound and even, partaking in the E-MTB race at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.

He's truly one of the top riders of his generation but, while still aiming for victories in coming season, the time to put an end to his illustrious career has come. 

"It’s important for me to spend time with my son Marlon and to see life from different angles, and not just as a cyclist. It was never my dream to race or to be a professional rider until 40 or 50," the Slovakian stated. 

To end his career on the mountain bike in 2024 is a dream, albeit not a golden one. 

“It’s not about the medal or something...It’s just something I always wanted, to finish my career on mountain bike and next year is Olympic year. But I wanted to do it for me, and not for anybody else," he said.

Currently racing at the Vuelta a San Juan, Sagan will have a full 2023 program with his TotalEnergies team, including Spring Classics and the Tour de France. He said he wants to enjoy his last year and to do so, he wants to operate in his top level so we may just see him add to his palmares yet.

Belgian superstar Wout van Aert is considering riding the UCI gravel world championships in 2023. 

The Jumbo-Visma talisman has said that he sees the competition having a great future after a successful first edition in October, which was won by fellow Belgian Gianni Vermeesch of Alpecin-Deceuninck. 

Italian rider and Peter Sagan wingman, Daniel Oss took second with Mathieu van der Poel rounding out the podium. Sagan also rode the gravel worlds himself in order to “give back to the people”.  

In conversation with WielerFlits, Van Aert explained that seeing the race won by Vermeesch on television whet his appetite for a future participation. 

“I watched the last edition on television and thought it was nice to see,” Van Aert said. “I was positively surprised at how much attention this world championship received. I think the world championship on gravel has a great future.” 

With the competition coming very late in the season, Van Aert hinted that riding the competition could be a stress-free way to end his 2023 season. 

“The gravel world championships is of course organised quite late in the road season. On the other hand, I think this title fight is less stressful than other big goals in the year,” he said. 

“It’s a beautiful sport,” Van Aert added. 

After a successful first edition, the second edition of the gravel world championships will be held in Italy again in 2023 before the competition moves to Van Aert’s home roads in Belgium for 2024. 

The Belgium course will start in Halle before a finish in Leuven, the site of the 2021 road world championships won by Julian Alaphilippe. 

With one eye to the third edition in Belgium, Van Aert hinted that riding it in future is firmly in his mindset. 

“Yes, I know that the gravel worlds will be held again in Italy next year and then in Belgium the following year. Maybe I’ll do it in the years to come,” he said. 

VAN AERT TAKES AIM AT MONUMENT VICTORY

Van Aert is due to ride several cyclo-cross races this winter with his team, Jumbo-Visma, recently releasing his schedule. The Belgian has also revealed that his road calendar is already starting to take significant shape for the new season. 

The Belgian along with several other Jumbo-Visma teammates were recently seen on the roads of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, preparing for the opening weekend. 

However in an interview with Belgian outlet Het Laatse Nieuws, Van Aert explained that it’s unlikely he will return to defend the Omloop title in 2023 and that his programme will be similar to his race schedule in 2021.

Van Aert said: “It will rather be a program like in 2021, without Omloop. The focus is on the classics in April.”

Van Aert and Jumbo-Visma have already stated that two of his big goals will be a monument victory at either Paris-Roubaix or the Tour of Flanders in April. He finished second to new teammate Dylan van Baarle at Roubaix this year. 

The Belgian also explained to Het Laatse Nieuws that peaking three times in one road season is a tough task. With that said, Van Aert hinted that he will almost certainly return to the “race of the year”, the Tour de France, with Jumbo-Visma next year. 

The Belgian was simply sensational at this year's edition of the French Grand Tour, winning the green jersey as well as three individual stages. 

“I have noticed in recent years that peaking three times in one road season is difficult. I was good at the Worlds in Australia, but not as top as in the spring or the Tour. 

"Moving on to the world's next summer after the Tour is not insurmountable,” Van Aert said. 

“I would like to ride another Grand Tour, but the Tour is still the race of the year. It doesn't get boring trying to win a Tour stage,” he added.

Peter Sagan will head to Italy in early October to compete in the first ever edition of the UCI gravel World Championships. 

The first two editions of the competition are scheduled to take place in Italy, with Sagan lining up on the start line at the first edition in Veneto, Northern Italy on 8-9 October 2022. 

In 2023 the championships will return to Italy in a yet to be confirmed location. 

The Slovakian told Cycling Weekly that he plans to compete in Italy in order to “give back to the people” that have supported him throughout his illustrious career including some of his sponsors Specialized, Sportful and 100% sunglasses. 

He also explained that his current team Total Energies have recently enabled him to pursue opportunities in cycling not only focussing on the road. 

He said: “I found out about the championship and yes, it’s a last minute decision but I want to go to it. It will be difficult to arrive in the best condition to win but it’s not important for me. I want to say thank you to the people who have supported me for so long and to give back to the fans what they want. That's what’s most important.”

Gravel is a huge market for one of Sagan's long term sponsors Specialized. 

The 32-year-old recently competed at the electric mountain bike championships in Les Gets, France, an experience which he explained was important despite only placing 16th in the race and suffering two crashes. 

“I enjoyed the atmosphere at the e-mtb race, it was fun to meet with the fans and go for the public. The result is important, yes, but to give back to the people too,” he said. 

In a recent interview with Cycling News ahead of the elite men’s road race at the world championship on Sunday, Sagan joked that he would “win the world title and then quit the road” something which he reiterated was a comment purely for the humour in his typical style. 

“No, no I would not quit at this moment. I was just joking of course! The numbers are still good, just other guys sometimes have better numbers. I still have much more to give in cycling,” he added. 

Earlier this year in June, Sagan rode the Unbound gravel race in Kansas, United States. His TotalEnergies and long-time teammate Daniel Oss also competed in the 100 mile event. 

For years, Peter Sagan has been a force to be reckoned with on the road. He’s a three-time world champion, seven-time Tour de France green jersey winner and a master of the cobbled classics. 

When it comes to electric mountain biking, however, the Slovakian doesn’t boast the same record. 

In Friday’s E-MTB race at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, Sagan crashed twice, both times remounting his bike to roll home in 16th. Though almost five minutes adrift of a podium spot, Sagan’s final placing was commendable in the 36-strong field that competed in the event in Les Gets, France. 

The race was won by Jérôme Gilloux, An experienced E-MTB racer, who doubled up on his title-winning performance at last year’s Worlds. The Frenchman holds a stellar record of two silver medals and two gold medals since the event was introduced to the championships in 2019. 

For Sagan, though, the rainbow bands were never an objective. “I won’t be able to be competitive and I’m not going for that,” the TotalEnergies rider told Gazzetta dello Sport prior to the race. “For me it will be a party, a way to give back to the fans at least a little of the affection they give me.”

Friday’s event was not Sagan’s first foray into the realms of mountain biking. In fact, the Slovakian began his career on thick tyres, becoming the junior cross-country world champion in 2008 at the age of 18. 

At the summer Olympics in 2016, the then road world champion opted to leave his road bike at home, instead choosing to race in the cross-country mountain bike event for his country. In the first lap, Sagan found himself in the top three riders on the course, but a timely front wheel puncture took him out of contention and he finished in 35th. 

A contributing factor to the Slovakian’s participation in the E-MTB event is his long term partnership with bike brand Specialized. The brand have long been involved in the World Electric Mountain Bike Championships. Previously, Tom Pidcock has won the event whilst riding a Specialized e-bike. 

Elsewhere at this year's championships, Swiss cyclist Nicole Göldi claimed back-to-back world titles in the women's E-MTB event. 

The UCI Mountain Bike World Championships are currently ongoing, with the week of events scheduled to conclude on Sunday with the men’s and women’s elite cross-country races.

Peter Sagan is set to switch from the road to the trails, as he competes at the World Electric Mountain Bike Championship at the end of August. 

The 32-year-old Slovakian recently competed at the Tour de France, but after a brief stint of altitude training in the USA, the TotalEnergies rider will return to Europe for the competition in Les Gets, France, which takes place on 26 August.

‘It will be a party,’ Sagan said when speaking to La Gazzetta Dello Sport this week. 

A three-time road world champion, Sagan has always enjoyed the extreme elements of cycling, and is widely considered as being one of the most versatile riders in the peloton. 

In June this year, the Slovakian took part in a 100-mile gravel race at Unbound Gravel in Kansas, USA. Sagan’s teammate, Daniel Oss, also took part in the event alongside him. 

Before beginning racing on the road, the 32-year-old began his cycling career in mountain biking as a junior, and also raced at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio in the mountain bike event. The TotalEnergies rider has also competed in numerous cyclocross events throughout his career. 

A contributing factor to the Slovakian’s participation in the electric mountain bike championship is his long term partnership with bike brand Specialized. 

The bike brand have long been involved in the World Electric Mountain Bike Championships. Previously, Tom Pidcock has won the event whilst riding a Specialized e-bike. 

At a similar time to taking part in the e-mountain bike event in August, Sagan is due to ride several smaller road races in Europe. 

According to La Gazzetta, on 21 August, the 32-year-old is due to compete at a small race in Hamburg, Germany before competing at the Bretagne Classic one week later. 

When discussing his participation at the e-mountain bike event, Sagan suggested that his involvement is more to please his sponsors. He said: “I won’t be able to be competitive and I’m not going for that.” 

Meanwhile after her second stage win at the first-ever Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Dutch sprinter Lorena Wiebes admitted post-race that she has previously been inspired by Sagan. When discussing riders who inspire her in an interview with Cycling Tips, Wiebes said, “for sprinters I’m looking more to the male peloton and that would be Fabio Jakobsen… in the past it was more Peter Sagan.”

Mathieu Van der Poel will not target the green jersey at the Tour de France in July with his Alpecin-Fenix team backing Jasper Philipsen in the bunch sprints, according to reports.

The Dutch road and cyclo-cross ace will instead target stage wins. 

Het Laatste Nieuws reports that Philipsen, who will arrive at the Tour fresh from a training camp at La Plagne, France, will be the team's main rider to challenge for sprint stage wins. Despite tasting success in the Tour de France last year, Tim Merlier will reportedly sit out the race.

Philipsen told the paper: “Last year I finished second three times and third three times in the Tour. This year I definitely want to win. I have worked hard to be top during this period." 

Although the 24 year-old admitted that going up against Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) would be a huge challenge, “I’m not green yet, let me try to win a stage first. By the way, if someone like Wout Van Aert is aiming for green, it will be very difficult for me to do the same."

Van der Poel might seem a more natural challenger to green jersey favourite Van Aert, but the report said after a tough Giro d’Italia his team do not plan on piling the pressure onto the Dutchman. Van der Poel is currently on an altitude training camp in Livigno, Italy.

After a strong display at the Tour de Suisse this week, Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) appears to be coming back into form ahead of the Tour de France.

Sagan’s win on stage three in Switzerland saw him outmanoeuvre his challengers before sprinting for victory. In taking his first WorldTour win in over a year, the former world champion displayed the same attributes that won him  the points jersey at the Tour on seven occasions. It may raise hopes among the Slovak's many fans that he can contend for that prize again.

However, Sagan was quick to downplay his 18th Tour de Suisse stage win: "It’s just a stage win. I’m happy for that and happy for the team. They all did a great job pulling with another team all day. In the end I just made it," he said.

The Tour de Suisse is not a sprinter-friendly race. Mark Cavendish, he of 160 career wins, has only ever won three at the Swiss event. André Greipel, who has 158 victories to his name, never won once. Peter Sagan has won 18.

The 18th, won on stage three of this year's Tour de Suisse, was one of his most impressive. The TotalEnergies rider, on just his 18th race day of an interrupted 2022 season, went incredibly early, charging to the line. It was like he would not allow anyone else to win this one, it was his. Others looked faster, especially Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) who was coming quickly behind his right shoulder, but Sagan willed the line to come quickly, ground his biggest gear, forced himself to first place.

He was clearly in the mood for success; his TotalEnergies team had been visible near the front of the race all day, controlling the break, pulling it back well in time of the line. They were confident that their Slovakian talisman had it within him to win in Grenchen, and must be delighted that he did.

A victory for Peter Sagan did not use to be noteworthy. He won three world championships back to back; he has 120 career victories; he holds the record for green jerseys at the Tour de France - seven.

However, he has just seven wins since the pandemic began. Notice the "just" there, this is only relative to the amount of winning that the puncheur used to do. He won four times last year, including a stage of the Giro d'Italia, but looked far from his rampaging best. No one wrote him off, but there was a sense that at just 32 he might be in the twilight of his career.

That might still be the case, but he can still bend a race to his will; do not be surprised if he wins or challenges once again at the Tour de France. He has 12 stage wins at that race, but even more remarkable is his 22 second places, and his 13 third places.

Speaking in November 2021, Sagan said: "I start with cycling, and I'm good at this, and I have time. When I decide I want to stop, I want to stop and never come back. But I'm still going. I am still young, right?"

The Slovakian tested positive for Covid a second time earlier this year, and missed the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix through illness. He rode Unbound last month, as he looked to regain his fitness.

“It’s hard to get back in a racing mood after my sickness and three months without racing, I  just needed some time," he said post-race.

"It’s just a stage win. I’m happy for that and happy for the team. They all did a great job pulling with another team all day. In the end I just made it."  

To someone with such success, it might "just" feel like a stage win, but it means more than that, his first win in nine months.

Asked if it is nice to return to winning, Sagan concluded: "Well, it’s nice to be back."

Peter Sagan is unlikely to start Paris-Roubaix, it has been reported, after health problems have left him unable to train or race to his full ability.

The TotalEnergies rider won the race in 2018, but has had a stop-start beginning to his 2022 season, his latest attempted comeback aborted this week, as he pulled out of the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe on stage two.

“I don't feel well, I often feel tired and I’ve got to find out why,” Sagan told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Slovakian will undergo further tests in France to understand why he is feeling below his top level, on top of examinations that have already been performed.

Sagan tested positive for Covid for a second time in January and missed a key block of pre-season training, which has impacted his start to the season. He did not start the Tour of Flanders last week, which he is also a former winner of.

His best result this season was fourth on the second stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, though he abandoned the race ahead of the following stage after falling ill with a stomach bug. The three-time world champion then also finished fifth at Milano-Torino ahead of Milan-San Remo.

“Peter hasn’t been well recently. His legs hurt far more than normally and he finds it difficult to make big efforts. He sometimes feels light headed and is often really tired,” Gabriele Ubaldi, his friend and press officer, told Tuttobiciweb.    

He joined TotalEnergies over the winter after five years with Bora-Hansgrohe, during which time he won Paris-Roubaix and Gent-Wevelgem. It has been a different sight this season, seeing the rider who always present in the lead groups at the classics struggling to hold on.

Ubaldi continued: "I have been working with him for nine years and I have never seen him retire from a race except for some bad fall. At the moment we do not know how his season will continue, he has the Paris-Roubaix scheduled but personally I think it is difficult that he can be at the start in good condition, even if clearly he will make the decision together with the team also based on the outcome of the exams he is taking. 

"The priority for everyone is obviously his health, so it is important to identify the cause of his discomfort. We are not worried that there may be something serious but we clearly need to resolve the situation. The team is very close to him and is helping him to try to get out of this bad situation as soon as possible."

Sagan will not ride the Giro d'Italia, where he won the points classification last year, due to his team not being invited. TotalEnergies are on the startlist for the Tour de France, however, so this is expected to be his major goal this year.

Peter Sagan is to miss the Tour of Flanders due to his struggles to find form this Classics season.

The 2016 winner will not be at the start in Antwerp on Sunday due to his inability to help his teammate Anthony Turgis in the final of the race, L'Equipe reported.

His TotalEnergies team said that tests would be performed on him to discover the cause of his lack of physical ability in 2022, and that he would instead race the Circuit de la Sarthe ahead of the Amstel Gold Race and Paris-Roubaix.

The Slovakian was already not due to race Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday, and has returned home. 

Sagan tested positive for Covid for a second time in January and missed a key block of pre-season training, which has impacted his start to the season. He did not finish Gent-Wevelgem on Sunday, while his less experienced teammate Dries van Gestel finished third.

He finished 68th in the E3 Saxo Bank Classic last week, and also failed to make an impact at Milan-San Remo over a week ago. He will be replaced in the TotalEnergies line up by Geoffrey Soupe.

Sagan's best result this season was fourth on the second stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, though he abandoned the race ahead of the following stage after falling ill with a stomach bug. The three-time world champion then also finished fifth at Milano-Torino ahead of San Remo.

He joined TotalEnergies over the winter after five years with Bora-Hansgrohe, during which time he won Paris-Roubaix and Gent-Wevelgem. It has been a different sight this season, seeing the rider who always present in the lead groups at the classics struggling to hold on.

Turgis, Sagan's teammate, has looked in good form so far this Spring, however, finishing second at San Remo and being present in the key move at E3. He is expected to lead the team on Sunday.

Peter Sagan has claimed the younger riders in the peloton lack respect, suggesting there has been a considerable shift in attitudes from new pros as he has gotten older. 

Now 32 years old, Sagan is no longer one of the young riders within the peloton, and race winners are getting younger and younger too. Tadej Pogačar, Egan Bernal and Tao Geoghegan Hart all secured their respective Grand Tour victories aged 25 or under, but Sagan is concerned the new generation of cyclists emerging has created a negative dynamic shift. 

While reminiscing about his early days as a professional cyclist, the Slovakian claims his experiences differ completely to what he is now witnessing in the peloton, with young riders actively choosing to ignore the unwritten rules in races, creating "total anarchy" as a result. 

Sagan told Het Nieuwsblad: “If you talk too much in the press, you only get rumours and polemics. That doesn't help anyone. As a young rider you have to learn how to deal with the media.

"Fabian Cancellara used to say a lot of things about me, very provocative, especially for the Classics. That always made me laugh, because it just meant he was getting really nervous about me. When the journalists came to me with his statements, I always replied: 'Fabian is my idol. I can't say anything bad about him'.

"Back then it was the older riders who talked a lot, now the younger generation does too. Then I think: okay, you are strong, a 'champ', whatever. But you are younger. The younger generation lacks that respect. You see, you feel that. In the past you had the unwritten laws in the race. Now, forget it. There is total anarchy there."

The three-time world champion continues, suggesting this lack of respect is most evident with toilet breaks, or the lack thereof, signifying this shift. Sagan suggests pros no longer have the opportunity to stop and relieve themselves at the side of the road, otherwise they risk their position in the race.

For Sagan, he can't understand this behaviour change, and even less so when people stay in the middle of the group when peeing. 

"I first noticed it when as a leader in a stage race I stopped to pee. They kept on attacking, while that used to be a moment of rest in the peloton.

“The bathroom break just doesn't exist anymore. I saw it again in the Haut Var. You used to have the fixed time to stop to pee together. 

“Now everyone is peeing from their bicycles. I then ask: Is that normal? I understand if you ride the final of say the Tour of Flanders or Paris-Roubaix. But at a dead-end in the race? You don't lose anything by stopping for a while. And they don't even bother going to the edge of the road.

"No names, but they just piss in the middle of the pack. Everyone pees on everyone. Disgusting. And if you say something about it, you are supposedly arrogant, because you can't decide what someone else should do."

Peter Sagan will not compete at this year's Strade Bianche on March 5, after race organisers RCS Sport announced the Slovakian's new team, Team TotalEnergies, haven't been selected as a wildcard pick for the event. 

Instead, RCS has selected three Italian ProTeams as its wildcard selections for Strade Bianche, with Bardiani–CSF–Faizanè, Drone Hopper–Androni Giocattoli and Eolo–Kometa Cycling Team joining 17 of the 18 WorldTour teams on the start line - Cofidis won't be riding in the Italian Classic - as well as Alpecin-Fenix and Team Arkéa–Samsic, who both qualified for the race by ranking. 

Sagan has never won Strade Bianche before, one of the few classics he has failed to triumph in during his stellar career. RCS' announcement, therefore, means he will have to wait at least another year to attempt to fill that elusive gap on his palmares, with his best finish at the race coming in both 2013 and 2014 when he crossed the line in second-place. 

While at Bora-Hansgrohe last year, the former three-time world champion missed the race too after testing positive for Covid-19 at the end of February. He could have competed in the event, instead preferred to delay his season debut until Tirreno-Adriatico the week after.

Starting and finishing in the Tuscan city of Siena, Strade Bianche consists of challenging gravel roads and a steep and narrow climb on the roughly-paved Via Santa Caterina leading to the finish atop the illustrious Piazza del Campo.

Mathieu van der Poel won the event last year, but it is unlikely he will defend his title this time around as he continues his recovery from an injured back and knee surgery. Julian Alaphilippe finished second, while Egan Bernal crossed the line third. 

RCS has also revealed the list of teams that will participate in its spring UCI WorldTour races this season, but will wait to announce the wildcard picks for the Giro d'Italia, Milano-Torino and Il Giro di Sicilia. 

Team TotalEnergies has been selected for Tirreno-Adriatico on March 7-13 though, with the French team also qualifying by ranking Milan-San Remo on March 19. Sagan has also failed to win that particular Monument during his career, finishing second on two separate occasions.  

Peter Sagan came to the aid of Scottish tourist Willie McColl on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria, alongside three other professional cyclists.

On Tuesday, McColl suffered a puncture for the third time in just two hours while out cycling on the island. Out of spare inner tubes, the Scotsman waited at the side of the road before flagging down the first group of riders he saw.

Unbeknownst to the 63-year-old, that group of riders contained three-time world champion Peter Sagan, Alpecin-Fenix pro Michael Gogl, and unidentified Bora-Hansgrohe and TotalEnergies riders. Before realising it was actually Sagan fixing his puncture, the Scotsman initially thought the riders were a "bunch of young kids".

McColl told road.cc: “Having run out of spare tubes after puncture number three, I was dependent on the goodwill of passing cyclists.

"I signalled to a bunch of ‘young kids’, who without hesitation came to my aid, provided a tube and set about getting me going again."

With the riders all wearing their team's new 2022 kits, McColl turned to Gogl, who finished sixth last season at Strade Bianche, asking him if raced with the team. 

Gogl responded: "Yes, and look, there is Peter Sagan."

McColl also told road.cc: “I didn’t recognise Sagan initially. It was Michael who pointed him out. He looked much younger than I had thought.

“So there I was, a 63 year old Scot with a team of domestiques assisting me, all pros and possibly the most famous guy in cycling. I expressed huge gratitude- one of them just said simply ‘we’ve all been there’ – very, very nice.”

Sagan is still awaiting his first appearance for new team TotalEnergies, after the cancellation of the Vuelta a San Juan. The Slovak rider joined the French-based outfit for 2022 from Bora-Hansgrohe, dropping down to UCI ProTeam level. 

Meanwhile, Gogl also moved teams at the turn of the year, fortunately making his way to Alpecin-Fenix after the folding of South African side Qhubeka-NextHash. The Austrian is also still awaiting his debut with the team. 

Peter Sagan has tested positive for coronavirus a second time, along with his brother Juraj. 

The Slovakian announced the news via his social media on Tuesday evening.

"My brother Juraj and I took Covid-19 tests which, unfortunately, came out positive. We have symptoms related to the virus and we are following the corresponding guidance set by the relevant authorities. I'll keep you posted."

It is the second time both Sagans have tested positive for covid, they had the same result in early February 2021 during a privately organised training camp in Gran Canaria.

Last year's case came closer to the start of the season and meant his early-season form was affected, with Sagan missing Strade Bianche.

This time, the positive test means that the three-time world champion misses out on TotalEnergies' new kit launch, which was due to happen next week, and a team training camp.

Peter Sagan was due to wear his new team's colours for the first time at the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina, but that race has already been cancelled due to the pandemic.

Under French coronavirus rules, Sagan will have to isolate at his home in Monte Carlo for at least five days and provide a negative test.

He joined TotalEnergies on a two-year deal after five years at Bora-Hansgrohe. Speaking in November, he said: "We are going to build a team around me and this is what attracts me to the project. It’s pressure, sure, but it’s just been my routine for a long time. It was no different with my old teams.

"When I joined Bora-Hansgrohe in 2016, people also spoke of it as a small team. The real question concerning TotalEnergies is not knowing what kind of team it is at the time I speak to you, but what path it intends to take. I don’t care that they’re not currently on the WorldTour, I want to help it grow."

In November, Sagan was fined €5,000 by a Monaco court for violating a Covid-19 curfew last April and for injuring a police officer when he was stopped with his brother Juraj.

He apologised for the incident: "Regarding the news that appeared today related to the night of April 25th, I wish to take this opportunity to convey my most sincere apologies. It was an ugly experience that made me think profoundly and draw valuable lessons. I am truly sorry for this incident which will not happen again."

Team TotalEnergies are ready for the arrival of their huge name signing of Peter Sagan, but the team says it is keen to keep its identity whilst still letting Sagan "do his thing". 

The announcement of Sagan to TotalEnergies was rumoured for quite some time, especially after Patrick Lefevere of Deceuninck - Quick-Step said he was not interested, so it wasn't really a surprise.

However, now Sagan is about to join the team - along with his entourage of Maciej Bodnar, Daniel Oss, Juraj Sagan, sports director Ján Valach, a mechanic, a trainer and his own press officer at the team training camp in Calpe -TotalEnergies has laid out its intentions.

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In an interview with RTBF Sports, TotalEnergies sports director Benoît Génauzeau said: "We are at the beginning of the start of our collaboration - a few weeks ago, we met Peter in person for the first time for a visit to the team headquarters. 

"We wanted him to understand where he was going to set foot because our identity is strong and we claim it. We wanted Peter to be able to discover the soul of our team thanks to this visit."

Sagan has spent the last five years with the German squad Bora-Hansgrohe adding his third world title as well as breaking the record for the most overall wins of the points classification at the Tour de France.

Now Sagan is aiming for a new challenge as TotalEnergies look towards eventually joining the WorldTour, Sagan is joining the likes of Niki Terpstra, Edvald Boasson Hagan and Niccolò Bonifazio in the team.

"He is someone who needs a close and trusting environment," Génauzeau continued. 

"That's why we chose to welcome him with some of his teammates and some members of his staff so that he finds himself in a known and trusted environment. Now, the challenge for us will also be to succeed in integrating him into the team. 

"We want to continue to cultivate the soul of the team, with our way of doing things and our instinct. And we want to be in tune with Peter to achieve great things together."

Sagan has also voiced how he would like to potentially ride more alternate races such as gravel and mountain biking while at the team, a plan new boss Jean-René Bernaudeau is keen to encourage. 

Peter Sagan has issued an apology for a series of offences which saw him fined €5,000 by a judge in Monaco's crown court.

The fine came after Sagan resisted arrest and injured a police officer on April 25 in the Mediterranean Principality. Police stopped the Slovakian rider because he was with his brother out driving at 12:30am, with Monaco imposing a curfew from 10pm-6am at the time. 

Sagan's representative in court said that when the police tried to get him out of the car and escort him to the Princess Grace Hospital, he became agitated because he thought he would be "forced to be vaccinated" against Covid-19. 

On top of the €5,000 fine, Sagan will have to pay €100 for breaking curfew, and €1,500 in civil charges.

Sagan has since taken to Instagram to issue an apology, claiming that he will learn from his mistakes and vowing that he won't act in the same way again.

He said: "Regarding the news that appeared today related to the night of April 25th, I wish to take this opportunity to convey my most sincere apologies. It was an ugly experience that made me think profoundly and draw valuable lessons. I am truly sorry for this incident which will not happen again."

The 31-year-old spent several hours in police custody after the incident, but he claims that he has no memory of the incident because he was allegedly intoxicated.

Just a month after the incident, Sagan claimed the points classification at the 2021 Giro d'Italia. 

Sagan swiftly managed to put the ordeal behind him though, claiming a stage win as well as the cyclamen jersey in May at the 2021 Giro d'Italia. He will join UCI ProTeam Team TotalEnergies at the beginning of 2022 too, leaving Bora-Hansgrohe with whom he spent four years of his career.

The Slovakian rider is expected to make his debut next season at the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina, and is currently in South America after attending the race's presentation of the route. 

Peter Sagan has been fined over €5,000 after committing a series of offenses in April of this year, allegedly while drunk.

The Slovakian rider, who is about to join French UCI ProTeam Team TotalEnergies, had already started his racing season by this point and was soon setting off to ride the Giro d'Italia, where he won a stage and the points jersey.

Sagan and his brother were stopped by police at 12:30am on April 25. Sagan's representative in court said that when the police tried to get him out of the car he became agitated as he thought he would be "forced to be vaccinated" against Covid-19.

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Sagan contracted Covid in February of 2021, which set back his form, forcing him to miss multiple cobbled Classics, riding the Volta a Catalunya instead after opening his season at Tirreno-Adriatico. 

According to a report by Nice-Martin, Sagan injured the officers in a struggle as they tried to escort him to the Princess Grace Hospital in Monaco. At the time, the curfew was 10pm-6am.

Monaco was one of the hardest areas on the Mediterranean with over three and a half thousand cases recorded and 36 deaths in the principality that has a total population of 39,244.

The incident saw Sagan fined €5,000 by a judge in Monaco's criminal court for resisting arrest and injuring a police officer. He was also handed an extra fine of €100 for breaking curfew. Along with this, Sagan will have to pay €1,500 in civil charges.

Sagan has since taken to Instagram to apologise for the incident though, claiming that he will "draw valuable lessons" after the "ugly experience." 

According to reports, Sagan had no memory of the incident after several hours in police custody. 

Sagan struggled for form in 2021 after having Covid and took just four wins on the road all season, also winning his native Tour of Slovakia overall. He abandoned the Tour de France after a crash on stage three with Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) led to an infection in his injured knee.

Sagan is expected to make his debut for his new team in 2022 at the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina and is currently in South America after attending the race's presentation of the route.

Peter Sagan is expected to make his debut for Team TotalEnergies at the Vuelta a San Juan, an Argentinian stage race that will be contested between January 30-February 6. 

The 31-year-old rider will join his new French team for 2022, after spending four years with Bora-Hansgrohe. Organisers of the Vuelta a San Juan issued a statement confirming Sagan's involvement, with next year's edition the third time that Sagan will have competed at the event. 

The Slovakian's two previous appearances have heralded ten top-10s, but he is yet to win a stage at San Juan. With this event the first he'll race in Team TotalEnergies colours, Sagan could get off to a dream start with a win at the third time of asking in Argentina. 

Returning to the America Tour road calendar after a year's hiatus, due to the pandemic, the Vuelta a San Juan will likely mark the season debut for a number of high-profile riders. These riders are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, alongside the full details of the race route.

The postponement of Australia's Tour Down Under also means that the Vuelta a San Juan is the first race on the 2022 calendar. Consequently, it is expected that the majority of WorldTour teams will travel to South America to begin their seasons in January. 

WorldTour teams first started competing in the Vuelta a San Juan in 2017, after it became a UCI 2.1 race. However, the Vuelta a San Juan was then promoted to the UCI ProSeries in 2020, and was given a 2.Pro status. Remco Evenepoel won on that occasion for Deceuninck-Quick-Step. 

Peter Sagan has said "part of the beauty of cycling has been lost" since Covid-19 restrictions have affected races. 

The three-time world champion said that the lack of crowds of races has detracted from the "fun" of races, even if some the racing in the Covid-19 era has provided an exciting spectacle for TV audiences. Crowds have slowly returned to races as pandemic restrictions have eased following more than a year of many races being held behind closed doors. Many of the protocols for riders still remain and interaction with fans is more limited.

"The only thing that the virus has done is to make everything difficult, I think that now it is much worse in this sense," Sagan told Marca.

"I do not think that now the races are more fun, on the contrary, part of the beauty of cycling has been lost. It is difficult to travel, to meet, the emotion that people transmit, the fans that follow the races are lacking. Without people, cycling is different and worse."

The Slovakian brought his 2021 season, and his time with Bora-Hansgrohe, to an end at the Giro d'Italia Criterium in Dubai at the weekend, winning the race ahead of Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers).

The 31-year-old said that he has "new motivations" and a "different mentality" heading into his maiden season with Team TotalEnergies, with whom he has signed to ride with for the next two seasons. 

Sagan explained that he still has the desire to continue winning and recapture some of the scintillating past form that has escaped him in recent seasons, but did admit he doesn't plan to ride professionally beyond his 30s as other riders have done.

“Careers can be long or short, look at [Alejandro] Valverde," he said.

"I started early, but when to retire is a particular decision. There are other things in life, the nice thing is that one can decide when. Valverde is not a benchmark for me.

“With all due respect to him, it is fine, but I’m not going to race beyond 40 that’s for sure. I admire him a lot, but I don’t see myself like that. I don’t know where I’m going to be in 10 years, now I’m just thinking about riding. I’ll see later.”

Peter Sagan has explained his reasoning for deciding to join second-tier Team TotalEnergies for the 2022 season, as he leaves WorldTour team Bora-Hansgrohe.

Undoubtedly the standout rider of TotalEnergies team, Sagan wants to help the ProTeam grow to eventually compete on the WorldTour. Despite needing invitations to race cycling's major races - such as the Tour de France - because of his new team's status, the Slovakian expressed his confidence and desire to continue racing at the elite level. 

Sagan told L'Equipe: “We are going to build a team around me and this is what attracts me to the project. It’s pressure, sure, but it’s just been my routine for a long time. It was no different with my old teams.

“When I joined Bora-Hansgrohe in 2016, people also spoke of it as a small team. The real question concerning TotalEnergies is not knowing what kind of team it is at the time I speak to you, but what path it intends to take. I don’t care that they’re not currently on the WorldTour, I want to help it grow.”

Also factored into the three-time world champion's decision making is the respect that general manager Jean-René Bernaudeau displayed Sagan in trying to acquire his services. While other teams showed an interest, it was TotalEnergies who went above and beyond. 

“Several teams were interested, but the team of Bernaudeau showed the most respect for me," he continued. "They really wanted me and they demonstrated it all the time. Every time we had a question, they responded immediately. Sometimes it took weeks for others.”

The environment that the French team has created also enticed Sagan, who, at 33-years-old, understands he needs to enjoy his cycling in order to perform at his best. The 12-time Tour de France stage winner alluded to Bernaudeau’s character, suggesting that he gets the right balance between seriousness and light-heartedness. 

Sagan said of Bernaudeau: “His character and style speaks to my heart. He is serious when necessary and funny the rest of the time. He wants his riders to have fun on the bike.

“We all know cycling is a full-time job and you have to take it seriously. It requires a lot of sacrifices, but you also have to know how to value the pleasure, to put a little lightness in all that, otherwise it will not last."

The transfer market has been exceptionally busy yet again as teams finalise their rosters for the 2022 season and there are some extremely exciting signings in and amongst.

Some of the biggest names in the sport are on the move in both the men's and women's peloton including Peter Sagan and Lotte Kopecky.

But there are other exciting moves for the 2022 season with riders looking to spread their wings or start up their WorldTour careers.

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There are so many transfers to choose from, but if you would like to keep up-to-date with all the WorldTour moves then head over to our transfer hub.

Here are just nine riders we have picked out as just some of the most exciting...

Peter Sagan, Bora-Hansgrohe to Team TotalEnergies

You probably won't be surprised to see us starting with the three-time world champion, Peter Sagan.

But lets face it, he is one of the biggest names in the pro peloton even though he has not hit the heights of previous years in 2021 due to illness, injury, and more competition. 

Sagan's move though is very exciting, with French energy giant TotalEnergies wanting to invest heavily into cycling. The Slovakian star is just the first in what is likely to be a plethora of big name signings over the next few years as they strive to get a WorldTour licence.

It is also good for Sagan, while he does take some of his usual entourage with him, he will be also be riding alongside the likes of superbly talented Classics rider Anthony Turgis as well as Edvald Boasson Hagen and Niccolò Bonifazio. Perhaps this is the move that could bring back the old Sagan.

Sam Bennet, Deceuninck - Quick-Step to Bora-Hansgrohe

Predictably, Sam Bennett is the next high-profile transfer on our list. After the protracted saga between Bennett and Deceuninck - Quick-Step boss, Patrick Lefevere, the sprint match-up between the Belgian team and Bennet's new Bora-Hansgrohe team could make this a real battle royale in 2022.

After Bennett pulled out of the Tour de France team with a knee injury, leading to Mark Cavendish being selected for the team and winning four stages, Lefevere started what seemed to be a vendetta against the Irishman.

The last time Bennett completed a race was the Volta ao Algarve in May, returning to race the European Championships, Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen, Gooikse Pijl and the Irish Championships towards the end of the season, but failing to finish in all of them.

But the other interesting side to this story is that Bennett is returning to Bora-Hansgrohe, a team he was seemingly forced out of by a conflict of interests with Pascal Ackermann and Sagan. 

But now, both those riders are leaving, the team looks to be taking on a huge image revamp with 10 new signings coming in for 2022 and seven riders leaving. All the sprint focus will be on Bennett, which is exactly what he would want.

Lotte Kopecky, Liv Racing to SD Worx

The Belgian national road race champion and arguably one of the strongest riders in the peloton is joining perhaps the strongest team in the peloton as she joins SD Worx. 

This move is ideal for both rider and team with main Belgian rival, Jolien d'Hoore retiring from the team this year. It also means that Kopecky will have more support in the final of races, something she has lacked at Liv Racing.

Kopecky has shown that if she is in the mix at the finish it will take something special to beat her. With her super-fast sprint as well as immense power on the flat and short hills, she should fit in well with the team.

Not straying far from the top 10 of every race she took part in, Kopecky's worst result of the year was 36th in the mountain time trial in the Giro Donne, but in road races it was 18th place at Strade Bianche.

Put her in with Demi Vollering, Christine Majerus, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, Kata Blanka Vas, and the rest, she could become close to unbeatable.

Marlen Reusser, Alé-BTC-Ljubljana to SD Worx

Sticking with SD Worx and yet another superb signing, this time a rider potentially the perfect replacement for the now-retired former world champion, Anna van der Breggen.

Marlen Reusser has shown over the last few seasons that she is developing into a major talent with 2021 an incredible year for her; six of her 12 professional wins came this year.

Those wins included the European Championships time trial, a stage in the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta, where she finished second overall, as well as both road race and time trial titles of Switzerland.

Reusser may have to accept that she won't be an out-and-out leader just yet in the team with the likes of Vollering now wanting to step up as the main star, but the way they work, especially in the Classics, could suit her racing style perfectly and maybe bring yet more wins.

João Almeida, Deceuninck - Quick-Step to UAE Team Emirates

João Almeida is quickly becoming yet another new kid on the block for the GC fight in week-long stage races, but also shows a lot of promise in the Grand Tours following his sixth place finish at the Giro d'Italia in 2021. That came despite supporting Remco Evenepoel for most of the race,  backing up his 2020 performance where he finished fourth.

However, Almeida will not be the star leader he may want to be at his new team simply due to the fact he will likely have to support Tadej Pogačar at the Tour de France, as the Slovenian eyes a third consecutive title.

It is very possible that Almeida will get full team support at the Giro or maybe the Vuelta a España from the ever-growing strength of the UAE Team Emirates climbing train.

Almeida opened his winning account in 2021 with the Portuguese time trial title, quickly joined by two stages and the overall at the Tour of Poland as well as a stage and the overall at the Tour of Luxembourg too.  

Grace Brown, Team BikeExchange to FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope

Grace Brown has proven herself over the past three years to be a force to be reckoned with. 2021 was her best season so far with two wins at Brugge-de Panne and the opening stage of the Vuelta a Burgos.

But when her move to FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope was announced it was a big surprise as Brown was becoming the figurehead at BikeExchange with the team seemingly forming around her.

But now, she joins the likes of fan favourite Cecile Uttrup Ludwig as well as Marta Cavalli and Emilia Fahlin among other strong riders as they look to take on more wins in 2022.

Brown just missed out on a medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo with a fourth place in the time trial as well as podiuming at the Tour of Flanders, Nokere Koerse, both road and time trials at the Australian Nationals and fifth at La Course.

Christophe Laporte, Cofidis to Team Jumbo-Visma

This one may surprise you but. Christophe Laporte is quickly becoming a mega-talent in the Classics, moving away from being just a pure sprinter who can get over a few climbs.

Jumbo-Visma signing him after eight of his nine seasons as a pro with Cofidis shows how he has developed. His sixth place at the hellish Paris-Roubaix last October exemplified his new-found ability. 

Laporte could also be a key component in the Classics for Wout van Aert as he looks to finally take a cobbled Monument such as the Tour of Flanders or Roubaix. 

But the French rider will be hoping to have his own chances too with smaller French and Belgian races seemingly being his meat and drink, taking wins at Etoile de Bessèges, Circuit de Wallonie, and Tour du Limousin. 

Laporte is definitely one to watch in 2022 in the yellow and black of Jumbo-Visma.

Hannah Barnes, Canyon-SRAM to Uno-X Pro Cycling

Hannah Barnes is one of the biggest names in the British women's scene at the moment, so when it was announced that she will be joining new team Uno-X in 2022 it caused a bit of a stir.

Barnes, whose sister Alice is staying at Canyon-SRAM, is set to be the main leader of the Scandinavian team who have signed two other Brits in multiple Olympic medallist Elinor Barker as well as World Hour Record holder Joss Lowden. Hannah Ludwig is the only other rider who does not come from the Scandinavian nations in the team.

Barnes has had a quieter season in 2021 with her best result a third place on the second stage of the Tour de Suisse behind Marta Bastianelli (Alé-BTC-Ljubljana) and Tereza Neumanova (Women's Cycling Team).

The Brit will be hoping that she can get back to winning ways and add to her list of 12 victories.

Johan Price-Pejtersen, Uno-X Pro Cycling to Bahrain Victorious

Johan Price-Pejtersen is looking like he could be the next big thing in time trialling after taking both the World, European and Danish titles in the under 23 class this year.

Price-Pejtersen has also shown he isn't bad at road races either with ninth place in the Danish U23 road race his best result up until now. 

He has likely signed for Bahrain Victorious as a key support rider who can ride on the front of the peloton for hours on end and potentially set up the lead-out train for the likes of European champion Sonny Colbrelli and German Phil Bauhaus.

But he will also be wanting to target as many time trial victories as he can, especially at the biggest races on the WorldTour, going up against the likes of Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), Rohan Dennis, Wout van Aert (both Jumbo-Visma) and Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ).

Social media seemingly controls our lives these days but it can also give us an inside look some of the sports biggest names - Some more so than others.

Riders, teams and races are all keen to try and bring in as big an audience as possible with some going all out to interact with their fans and others just doing their own things.

It is safe to say that big races and the WorldTour men mostly steal the top spots for numbers of followers over Facebook, Instagram and Twitter but some riders from the women's side of the sport also have a good following too.

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It may come as no surprise that the most followed cycling related page on all of the three main social medias is the Tour de France with 7,953,108 followers. Leading the list for riders though is Peter Sagan with a huge 4,445,00 followers across the board.

Rigoberto Urán is extremely popular on social media with around the same amount of followers on all three platforms. His main popularity comes from Colombia and generally South America as a whole, which is perhaps not too surprising for the rider nicknamed Mick Jagger.

The tables, which are made by Ian Warren from the Wine and Wheels Twitter account, are regularly updated with riders from both men's and women's races ranked, plus teams and races.

Ian Warren spoke to Cycling Weekly about the potential growth teams could get from their riders: "Peter Sagan is clearly ahead in terms of his reach, and his new team TotalEnergies would be wise to exploit his reach to grow their own profile. Similarly, Chris Froome has 1.5m followers on Twitter but his trade team Israel Start-Up Nation only have 29,000."

In the women's side of the sport it is Italian sprinter and track star, Letizia Paternoster of Trek-Segafredo who holds the top spot ahead of some of the sports biggest stars.

"There is massive scope for the riders in the women's tour to grow their audience now that we have the Tour De France Femmes next year," Warren continued. 

"Letizia Paternoster has over 400,000 followers across all platforms, putting her in the lead ahead of Marianne Vos (350,200) and the retiring Anna Van Der Breggen (322,300). I would expect the audience for women's cycling to continue to grow, and the profiles of the riders to go with it."

This following puts Paternoster ahead of the likes of Filippo Ganna, Sam Bennett, Caleb Ewan, Sonny Colbrelli and many more of the biggest names on the men's side of the sport.

However, Dutch rider Puck Moonen has 300,000 more followers than Paternoster, with just over 700,000 followers, even though she is not a WorldTour rider or one of the big name stars yet. She has been known as a cycling influencer but has said in the past that she doesn't want to be one.

On the team front, it is perhaps unsurprising that it is Ineos Grenadiers who lead the way just ahead of Movistar Team who likely gained followers due to the Netflix series about the trials and tribulations of their team during a season.

There are some odd ones in there as Israel Start-Up Nation overall are ranked ninth but are second on their Facebook following behind Ineos with teams like Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux struggling on Instagram but ranking fifth on Twitter and Facebook.

Races are also keen to create a good following on social media as it promotes so much more than just the race but also the surrounding area and the race's sponsors.

Warren added: "Paris-Roubaix is clearly the largest race in terms of reach outside of the grand tours. In fact, some of the WorldTour events have pitiful follower numbers. The Bretagne Classic, a WorldTour race, has just 4,600 followers across all social media and a race as prestigious as Amstel Gold only has 30,000 followers. 

"Non-WorldTour races like the Tour of Britain far outstrip those numbers, with 246,000 followers, which would put it 5th in all men's road races if it were on the list." 

Peter Sagan has said he is keen to speak to Niki Terpstra if the Dutch rider wishes to continue with the team as Sagan says he would bring "great value" to the Classics team.

Sagan, who is joining Team TotalEnergies in 2022 from Bora-Hansgrohe, wants the two-time Monument winner Niki Terpstra to stay at the French team if he wants to continue racing.

In an interview with RIDE Magazine, Sagan said: "I heard rumours that Niki wanted to end his career after this season. But if he wants to continue his career, I definitely want to talk to him."

Terpstra was signed in 2019 as one of the big-name leaders for the French UCI ProTeam but a series of nasty crashes and injuries have meant that he has not performed the way he would have liked.

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This has led to rumours that the 37-year-old rider may be looking to retire at the end of the season, although he recently had a good finish at the Arctic Race of Norway where he finished second on the final stage behind Philipp Walsleban (Alpecin-Fenix) as well as second in the mountain standings.

"Certainly with a view to the Flemish classics, he can be of great value," continued Sagan. "Niki is an experienced man in the spring races. He could play an important role in the team. But of course, it's not my decision whether he can stay. The team has to make that decision."

Terpstra has won both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, as well as multiple semi-Classics, during his time at Deceuninck - Quick-Step but has struggled since leaving with his best result in a while coming at the recent Arctic Race.

Speaking to Wielerflits, Terpstra said: "I'm super happy to be able to ride a final again - It's been a while since I was able to do that. That's the most beautiful thing there is. It's what I live for, and I enjoyed it. I had that kick again today and I'm happy with that."

Sagan is bringing riders Daniel Oss, Maciej Bodnar, Juraj Sagan and Erik Baska across from Bora-Hansgrohe, as well as multiple staff members, as the team tries to step up to the UCI WorldTour.

Peter Sagan has confirmed that he will be riding the European Championship road race in Trento, Italy on September 12.

The Bora-Hansgrohe rider hasn't returned to racing since abandoning the Tour de France on stage 12, where he suffered a knee infection that had developed after a crash on the third stage of the race.

Since his operation and subsequent recovery, Sagan has been riding with friends and his brother Juraj (also Bora-Hansgrohe) in the Pyrenees on his road and mountain bikes, postings some exhilarating videos on Instagram.

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Sagan said: "My recovery is going well. I am training intensively to get back to my best level. I can't possibly predict how the European Championship race will turn out, but I can promise that I will give everything for the best possible result."

The Slovakian rider who has won the World Championships three times in his career has also won the Europeans when it first came available for the professional men's peloton in 2016, but did not wear the jersey due to him being world champion at the time.

"Without a doubt, the European Championships have seen an impressive growth since 2016." Sagan continued. 

"I don’t know to what extent my victory contributed to this, but I’m happy to add my small stone even if it’s just a little bit. As for this year’s edition, I’m sure it will have a top-level field that will guarantee an exciting race."

However, Sagan is likely to face an amazing list of riders that include Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), Tour of Flanders winner Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck - Quick-Step), Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), reigning champion Giacomo Nizzolo (Qhubeka-NextHash), Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck - Quick-Step), Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) and many more stars besides on the hilly route.

The route takes place around Trento over a distance of 179.2km with 73km of riding over tricky medium sized mountains with the highest, Candriai, peaking at over 1000 metres. 

It's then onto the laps with 73.4km to go with eight laps of a 13.2km circuit including the Povo climb which is a short 3.6km with an average gradient of 4.7 per cent.

Peter Sagan has shared a video showing off his amazing bike handling skills on a downhill mountain bike course.

The superstar rider has been riding off -road with his friends as he uses the mountain bike as a "different kind of training" before the World Championships and Paris-Roubaix later this year. 

Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) has been riding his mountain bike as he recovered from an infection in his knee, which he got in the second week of the Tour de France after a stage three crash.

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The Slovakian star posted a video of him riding his mountain bike down a very dusty and technical downhill mountain bike course on Instagram, with a caption saying: "A different way of training on my bike that I enjoy a lot! Thanks to Luca Leonardi for following me and filming me!"

It is not unusual for Sagan to train on his mountain bike, as he started his cycling career off-road. 

He has also said that he would like to look at having a go at mountain bike and gravel races for his new squad, Team TotalEnergies, who he will join for the 2022 season, along with his entourage of riders, staff members and kit sponsors, including Specialized bikes.

TotalEnergies boss, Jean-René Bernaudeau, spoke about this when Sagan was announced to be joining his team: "Peter seeks to preserve himself. He has created around him a sort of micro-enterprise, with very close people, which allows him to be happy,

"It is also a vision of cycling. When I met him at his home in Monaco, he asked me half-heartedly, as if he didn't dare, if he could participate in gravel events. It's a new market that is linked to ecology, urban mobility, the pleasure that he and I are looking for. This will open new doors."

Sagan wouldn't be the first road rider to compete across disciplines in mountain biking or gravel. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) and Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) regularly race on the mountain bike, while current and former pros race on the gravel and MTB in the US,  including Alex Howes, Lachlan Morton (EF Education-Nippo), Eddie Anderson (Alpecin-Fenix), Laurens Ten Dam, Peter Stetina and Ian Boswell. 

Sagan, three time world road race champion on the road, still has big objectives to focus on this season though with Bora-Hansgrohe, first and foremost the World Championships taking place in Leuven, in the Flanders region of Belgium, before he heads to Paris-Roubaix in October to likely end his season.

Peter Sagan has said that Team TotalEnergies being a second division team is not a problem for him, as he searches for new challenges and to make the French squad a "great team".

Sagan announced he has signed for TotalEnergies on Tuesday evening (August 3) along with Bora-Hansgrohe team-mates, Daniel Oss, Maciej Bodnar and Juraj Sagan, plus bike brand Specialized, clothing brand Sportful and many other components and kit brands.

Sagan told l'Equipe what he thought about people being surprised with his step down in divisions: "You know, when I joined Bora-Hansgrohe at the end of 2016, it was a small team. In a few years, everything has changed and it has become one of the biggest structures of the WorldTour. What I mean is that I've been there before. The most important thing is not the current status of the team but what we are going to do with it. The fact that TotalEnergies is not in the WorldTour today is not a problem for me. I want to help make it a great team."

However, TotalEnergies have made it clear they are building a team to get into the WorldTour at some point. Whether that will be in 2022 or not is yet to be confirmed.

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The Slovakian star said he first met TotalEnergies boss, Jean-Renie Bernaudeau three years ago at the Tour de France and has admired how he lets his riders race. 

Bernaudeau spoke of meeting with Sagan just a few months ago in his home in Monaco to discuss a move to his team, when Sagan asked about potentially looking at other disciplines such as mountain biking and gravel racing.

"Peter seeks to preserve himself. He has created around him a sort of micro-enterprise, with very close people, which allows him to be happy," explains Bernaudeau. "It is also a vision of cycling. When I met him at his home in Monaco, he asked me half-heartedly, as if he didn't dare, if he could participate in gravel events. It's a new market that is linked to ecology, urban mobility, the pleasure that he and I are looking for. This will open new doors."

But Sagan wants to focus on recovering from the injury that he got in his crash with Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) on stage three of the Tour de France. Sagan carried on until stage 12 where he had to pull out with Bursitis after a cut into the knee caused by a chainring became infected.

After that, he seeks to ride the World Championships in Leuven for Slovakia and to try and take a fourth world titlem, before heading the rescheduled Paris-Roubaix on October 3 2021 with Bora-Hansgrohe, likely his last race with the German-registered team.

Peter Sagan has been confirmed as moving to French second division squad Team TotalEnergies, after five years at Bora-Hansgrohe.

The Slovakian star announced a few days ago that he would be leaving Bora-Hansgrohe for a new challenge and it has been confirmed that TotalEnergies will be that challenge.

The French team announced with "immense pride" that they have announced the three-time world champion as they continue to build their squad to get to the UCI WorldTour.

>>> Confirmed: Sam Bennett returns to Bora-Hansgrohe

Along with Sagan, riders Maciej Bodnar and Daniel Oss will also join TotalEnergies from Bora-Hansgrohe. Added to this enormous deal is bike manufacturer Specialized, clothing brand Sportful as well as new shoes, tyres, helmets, wheels and components.

In a team statement, they said: "It is with immense pride that Team TotalEnergies announces the signing for two seasons (2022-2023) of Slovak rider Peter Sagan, triple world champion and seven times green jersey of the Tour de France, 117 professional victories."

Sagan has had a solid season that was stalled by Covid-19 at the start of the year, but he took his first win at the Volta a Catalunya before heading to the Giro d'Italia where he took his first points jersey at the Italian Grand Tour.

He was quoted in the press release saying: "This new adventure is very exciting. Jean-René is a manager who wants to change the lines in the world of cycling, I hope to be able to help this team to achieve it, and to win many races under these new colours. For now, of course, I remain focused on the end of season goals with my current team, and I will join my new formation with a winning spirit this winter."

Team manager, Jean-René Bernaudeau, spoke about the huge signing: "Recruiting Peter is obviously an incredible source of pride. He is undoubtedly the most popular runner in the world, he is an exceptional talent, he makes us change dimension. This recruitment is above all the marker of sporting ambition. 

"Peter is a huge competitor, everyone knows that, and above all, he will bring us victories: we are counting on him for that. The arrival of such a champion, a bicycle and accessories supplier like Specialized and a clothing partner like Sportful, these are accelerators for our sporting project, it is a new attraction for the talents of tomorrow. 

"Peter will be a key part of our system on the Classics and the Tour. He will bring us a lot of sporting also through his experience, and will help us to move the group forward."

Surprisingly, Sagan does not seem to be taking his brother Juraj as well as another Slovakian rider Erik Baška, both Bora-Hansgrohe riders.

It is not known if Sagan will race again for Bora-Hansgrohe but it is likely he will race at the World Championships in Leuven for Slovakia and possibly at the European championships in Italy.

We have entered the period of the year where teams can now announce who they have signed for the 2022 season, with some very big names expected to be on the move.

Some riders will be leaving teams that they have been at for multiple seasons, others will be leaving after a relatively short stint and on potentially bad terms with the team.

Every year we see some surprising moves, but with many big name riders usually tied down to huge contracts - the likes of Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) being held onto for many years by their teams.

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However, this transfer season looks set for some of the sports biggest names moving around the peloton for the 2022 season. Here are just five of the biggest rumours...

Sam Bennett - Deceuninck - Quick-Step to Bora-Hansgrohe

The Irish star Sam Bennett is now known to definitely be leaving Deceuninck - Quick-Step with the Belgian team owner Patrick Lefevere stating that he will be re-joining Bora-Hansgrohe, even though Bennett and the German team parted ways badly two years ago.

Bennett had an amazing first season with Deceuninck - Quick-Step last year, with the 2021 season going in much the same way. But then the rumour mill started going quite early with the news that he would be going back to his old team of Bora-Hansgrohe.

This, along with a very unfortunately timed injury putting him out of the Tour de France squad, saw the relationship between him and Lefevere turn sour. Lefevere has since accused Bennett of being the "epitome of mental weakness" in a recent column for Het Nieuwsblad.

Bennett was at Bora-Hansgrohe for six years and was the star man for the first three but once Peter Sagan signed he was pushed back a little bit. Pascal Ackermann joining the fold didn't help either as the Irishman would be forced into one of either the Giro d'Italia or the Vuelta a España. 

However, this is likely not going to be an issue in 2022 as those two riders are set to leave the German outfit.

Peter Sagan - Bora-Hansgrohe to TotalEnergies

Peter Sagan has been the rockstar of cycling since he burst onto the big stage back in 2011 with some amazing victories at the age of just 21 and it is certain that the Slovakian star will be moving on to his fifth team in his career.

After a very successful five-year spell with Bora-Hansgrohe, Sagan has decided that he fancies a new challenge. The team looks to be splitting with the rider on very good terms as they look to go in a slightly different direction with more focus on the general classification, while backing one star sprinter instead of multiple.

Originally, the big rumour was that Sagan would be heading to Deceuninck - Quick-Step as a straight swap with Sam Bennett but Lefevere waded in on this and said while he would love to sign Sagan, as would the team sponsors, they simply do not have the money to sign him and his entourage that costs around €8million.

One team that seems to be able to afford this thanks to their big-name sponsor is French UCI ProTeam, Team TotalEnergies. The energy giants are looking to pump more money into the team and maybe get to the UCI WorldTour next season and signing Sagan would be a big bonus for that.

Geraint Thomas - Ineos Grenadiers to unknown

It's been an especially hard season for Geraint Thomas as the 2018 Tour de France winner has just not been able to find any luck in two of his biggest objectives of the 2021 season.

Crashing on stage three of the Tour de France saw his hopes of the overall classification go up in smoke as he dislocated his shoulder, slowly slipping down the order before supporting team-mate Richard Carapaz to third overall.

He then headed to Japan for the road race and time trial in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games but, much like in the Rio 2016 Games, he suffered bad luck through a crash that saw him lose touch on the climbs before DNFing. He then put in a solid 12th in the time trial before likely ending his 2021 season.

The rumours of him potentially moving on come due to his contract coming to an end and the potential for a new challenge. The Welshman has been with the British team of Ineos Grenadiers for 11 years but there is a possibility that he will be in different colours for the 2022 season, in a surprising move to match the one by Chris Froome when he left to join Israel Start-Up Nation for this season.

There are no teams rumoured to be his next destination as of yet, but with the transfer window officially open, time will tell what Thomas will decide.

Rohan Dennis - Ineos Grenadiers to Jumbo-Visma

Recent bronze medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in the individual time trial, Rohan Dennis has shown that he still definitely has great legs on the bike even though he has not been given a chance at the first two Grand Tours of the year by Ineos Grenadiers.

Dennis, who has been with the British team for two years, is set to be joining the Dutch squad of Jumbo-Visma, joining the gold and silver medalist in the Olympic time trial in Primož Roglič and Tom Dumoulin as well as Belgian star Wout van Aert in what will be one of the strongest mountain trains in the pro peloton.

The Australian time trial specialist has just got two wins to his name at Ineos with them both coming in 2021 and against the clock, but his work for the team's leaders has been his most important asset.

His biggest role with the team was when he dragged Tao Geoghegan Hart up the Stelvio in last year's Giro with only Jai Hindley (DSM) able to follow, laying the way for the British rider to go into pink and win the race a few days later.

Elia Viviani - Cofidis to EOLO-Kometa

Elia Viviani was a surprise signing for Cofidis as he joined the French WorldTour squad from Deceuninck - Quick-Step after a very successful two-year period.

Since joining Cofidis in 2020, however, he has taken just three wins with only one of them actually in the colours of Cofidis. The other two were riding for the Italian national team in the Adriatica Ionica Race.

The rumours started coming in that Viviani would likely be joining Italian ProTeam EOLO-Kometa for the 2022 season alongside his brother, Attilio. EOLO-Kometa, owned by former pros Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso, are hoping to sign some of Italy's biggest names in the future so they can try to get into the WorldTour and Viviani could be one of those names.

He does need to find form from somewhere though. He will hope that he can ride the wave of being the flag bearer in the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games for Italy and maybe retain his Madison gold medal to get his form going again.

Peter Sagan has announced that he will be leaving German team Bora-Hansgrohe at the end of the 2021 season.

Star sprinter Pascal Ackermann, who the squad previously favoured over Sam Bennett, will also be leaving the team. 

The three-time world champion posted on social media that he will not be extending his contract, thanking the team for helping him achieve some of his biggest goals over the years.

In his Instagram post the Slovakian star said: "Today, I would like to announce that a cycle is closing in my professional career and that I will not renew my contract with Bora-Hansgrohe beyond the end of the 2021 season.

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"I would like to express my appreciation to Ralph Denk, Willi Bruckbauer, the team sponsors, all my teammates, and the entire staff of Bora-Hansgrohe for their support and their confidence in me during these five seasons. We have achieved so many things and even in difficult times, we stuck together. I think that we weren't just team-mates, we were part of a big family."

Sagan spent five years with the team after joining them from Tinkoff in 2017. He since went on to be dominant in the sport for the team adding a third successive world title as well as winning Paris-Roubaix and breaking the record for the most point jersey wins at the Tour de France. He also surpassed 100 race wins with Bora-Hansgrohe.

"However," continued Sagan, "after a long and thorough discussion with my own management and under a mutual agreement with Bora-Hansgrohe, we came to the decision that it would be best if my cycle in the team came to a close and that a new chapter opened in my career. Change is part of life and growth.

"I'm sure Bora-Hansgrohe will continue to be successful and I wish them all the best in the coming seasons."

Bora-Hansgrohe have confirmed the departure of both Sagan and Ackermann, saying they did not achieve the expected results in recent seasons. 

Team manager Ralph Denk said: "I would firstly like to say that both riders are important parts of our team and we have been able to celebrate many successes together over the past years. For this, I am grateful. 

"We have already made some strategic decisions and ultimately, Peter decided that there is another option available to him that is more in line with his ideas. I have full respect for that. Nevertheless, it is a great shame, because Peter is part of our success story and has contributed much to our development.

"Pascal also had an offer from us. He turned pro with the team and I think we also contributed a lot to developing him into one of the best sprinters in the peloton. We would have loved to continue working with Pascal, but he decided it was time for something new. A change of pace can sometimes be important, I can understand that, but I would have preferred him to take on the coming years with us." 

It is expected that Sagan will be joining French UCI ProTeam, Team TotalEnergies along with a group of other Bora-Hansgrohe riders as well as the American bike brand, Specialized and multiple staff members with a move that will cost the team €8 million.

But the last time TotalEnergies owner, Jean-René Bernaudeau, spoke on the matter of signing certain riders he said he was still waiting for the rider's signatures. Perhaps, with this announcement, that is now sorted.

Teams are allowed the announce their new signings for the 2022 season from August 1 but riders are not allowed to be seen in the new kit until Janaury 1, unless they have agreed the break contract with the team.

Peter Sagan has revealed he had to abandon the Tour de France 2021 due to an infection to a cut in his knee which he picked up in a crash on stage three of the race.

The Bora-Hansgrohe rider battled through the first week and part of the second before having to step off the bike before the start of stage 12, which was won by his team-mate, Nils Politt. 

In an Instagram post, Sagan explained his injury: "On stage three, the chainring hit my knee and entered the skin above the patella, leaving a deep wound. We cleaned the wound as much as possible to prevent infection because of the dirt from the chain oil."

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Sagan came down with Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) who had to abandoned due to a broken collarbone.

"However, after a few days, an inflammation developed in the bursa on top of the patella, and, unfortunately, antibiotic treatment couldn’t prevent an infection," continued Sagan. 

"The only option was to stop racing at the Tour de France and get the bursa surgically removed."

Fortunately for Sagan, the infection did not involve the joint in the knee and doctors were able to perform surgery on the wound at very short notice in Monaco. The three-time world champion thanked the medical staff as well as his team and his fans.

The bursa is a fluid-filled cushion in the knee, elbow, shoulder and hip. Sagan was suffering from bursitis which is is a painful condition that occurs when the bursae become inflamed.

"I'm feeling well right now and in a couple of days, I'll be able to train again on my rollers. If all goes well, I'll be riding my bike on the road very soon."

Sagan told the press, just before he left the race, that he will now focus on the Olympic Games road race, an event he did not ride in Rio back in 2016 due to him focusing on the cross-country mountain bike race instead.

It is also rumoured that the Slovakian superstar will be leaving Bora-Hansgrohe and it is only a matter of time until it is announced he has signed for the French second division team, Team TotalEnergies.

Peter Sagan is all set to sign for French UCI ProTeam, Team TotalEnergies after the Tour de France according to reports.

Sagan is set to be signing after the Tour de France, where he is struggling for wins, along with his main sponsor and bike brand, Specialized, as well as his brother Juraj, Daniel Oss, Maciej Bodnar and Erik Baska, according to Wielerflits.

This is along with two mechanics, two soigneurs, a sports director, a press officer, and a hospitality manager.

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Team TotalEnergies signed a huge array of strong riders for the 2021 season as it looked like they were building towards the WorldTour, much like several other ProTeam line-ups.

Signing the three-time world champion, Sagan, would surely be that final stepping stone for them to acquire a spot in the top tier of the sport.

Sagan brings a lot of extra sponsors with him, including bike manufacturer, Specialized. The US brand is currently the bike for both Deceuninck - Quick-Step and Bora-Hansgrohe. 

Reportedly, the brand will be sticking with those teams as well as replacing Wilier Triestina as the bike brand for Team TotalEnergies.

It has been rumoured for some time that Sagan will be moving on from Bora-Hansgrohe after five years at the German squad with teams like Deceuninck - Quick-Step being rumoured as his next destination.

However, it was made clear by Deceuninck team boss, Patrick Lefevere, that the Slovakian star would not be joining the team due to the €8million entourage he brings with him.

Lefevere was simply not prepared to pay that much for a series of riders that he didn't really want. Usually, a rider of Sagan's calibre will bring maybe one rider and a mechanic, Sagan is bringing a whole squad with him.

TotalEnergies boss, Jean-René Bernaudeau, was not able to comment when asked by Wielerflits, but did say: "I'm still waiting for the signature of the parties involved,"

Sagan and co would be joining the likes of Chris Lawless, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Pierre Latour and potentially Niki Terpstra, although there are doubts that the Dutch rider will continue with the team next season.

Peter Sagan has been confirmed in Bora-Hansgrohe’s team for the 2021 Tour de France where he’ll attempt win a record-breaking eighth green jersey. 

The Slovakian will share leadership duties with Wilco Kelderman who will target the race’s general classification.

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All eyes, however, will be fixed on Sagan who in 2020 missed out on the green jersey to Irishman Sam Bennett. 

Sagan had an indifferent season last year but has been in impressive form so far in 2021 after a delay to his campaign due to a positive Covid-19 test.

After winning stages at the Volta a Catalunya and Tour de Romandie, the 31-year-old claimed a stage at the Giro d’Italia and then wrapped up the points classification in the season’s first Grand Tour.

His main aim of the year, though, is undisputed: to regain the green jersey in the Tour that he has dominated in the past decade.

Attempts to win the points classification for an eighth time will be aided by the expected absence of Bennett who is likely to be denied the chance to defend green due to injury.

Kelderman, meanwhile, will be looking to prove that his third place in last year’s Giro d’Italia was no fluke and he is capable of being a consistent threat in Grand Tours.

The Dutchman, who joined the German team from Team DSM in the winter, led the Giro for two days before falling away and settling for the final spot on the podium. 

He will be backed in the mountains in France by a strong team, including Emanuel Buchmann who finished fourth in the Tour in 2019. The team have stated that the goal is a top-five for Kelderman.

Buchmann was in sixth place at the recent Giro when he crashed out on stage 15. His presence in the mountains will be a huge assist to Kelderman, who will also be supported by Lukas Pöstlberger and Patrick Konrad. 

Sagan will be led out by Daniel Oss, with Nils Pilott and Ide Schelling rounding off what is a strong and varied team.

Patrick Lefevere has said he doesn’t want to sign Peter Sagan because of the star rider’s entourage. 

Sagan, former three-time world champion, is famed for taking a team of riders and staff with him during each trance, who all form part of contract negotiations for the Slovakian star. 

As Sagan’s contract with Bora-Hansgrohe comes to an end this season, he has been linked to a number of potential new squads in recent weeks, with Lefevere’s Deceuninck - Quick-Step one of the more enticing rumours. 

Team boss Lefevere has now confirmed in his column for Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad that he was involved in talks with Sagan’s agent, but that he put a halt to the talks because he “doesn’t want a team within his team.” 

Lefevere said that the Sagan rumours started as Deceuninck - Quick-Step signed a new long-term deal with bike sponsor Specialized, which will run until 2027.

As part of the contract talks, Deceuninck - Quick-Step owner Zdenek Bakala went cycling with Specialized CEO Mike Sinyard, where Sagan’s name came up. 

Sagan also has a long-term sponsorship deal with Specialized, with the team’s owner Bakala suggesting that Sagan could join Deceuninck. 

“Everything fitted together well, but I immediately put on the brakes,” Lefevere said. 

Sagan’s agent Giovanni Lombardi then wanted to open talks, according to Lefevere, adding that he met with the agent.

Lombardi said that Sagan’s entourage of 11 riders and staff was not set in stone, as many of Sagan’s personal team had found new jobs.

But the Sagan camp did want to bring eight people along, Lefevere said, with Sagan now believed to be in talks with another team willing to take on his entourage.

Lefevere said: “Great of Sagan that he take such good care of his faithful, but I don’t want a team within my team. That cannot be reconciled with the Wolfpack philosophy.” 

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Sagan’s current entourage at Bora-Hansgrohe includes four riders - Erik Baska, Maciej Bodnar, Daniel Oss and his brother Juraj - along with two mechanics, two caretakers, a sports director, a press officer, and a hospitality manager, according to Lefevere.

Earlier this week Sagan was linked to French ProTeam Total Direct Energie, who are believed to be pursuing WorldTour status and need a star rider to lead the team. 

Peter Sagan has explained his approach to stage 18 of the Giro d’Italia 2021, as he let a chance at stage victory slip by.

The Bora-Hansgrohe leader is currently leading the maglia ciclamino points classification and is happy to defend his jersey, rather than battle for another stage.

Sagan is currently battling Davide Cimolai and Fernando Gaviria for the points classification, as he has a 23-point margin with just three stages left to race. 

Speaking after stage 18, a day that would have suited a versatile sprinter like Sagan, he said: “It went pretty well for us. With the jersey it was our goal to control the race from the start and make sure Gaviria and Cimolai didn’t go for the break. That’s it for the day for us. Now I’d prefer to keep the jersey than fight for another stage.  

“It doesn’t make sense for me to go for the breakaway, because if I did Gaviria and Cimolai would go with me. It depends on what goals you have, but I have the ciclamino jersey as a goal.” 

Sagan currently sits on 135 points in the competition, having won stage 10 into Foligno ahead of both Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) and Cimolai (Israel Start-Up Nation).

With no more sprint opportunities remaining in the race, Sagan now has to defend his jersey using intermediate sprint points during the stages, ensuring his rivals can’t get up the road in a break to secure maximum points without him. 

>>> Five talking points from stage 18 of the Giro d'Italia 2021 

Stage 18 would have been well-suited to Sagan, with a quick succession of hills falling in the final 40km, but instead the breakaway were allowed to go 20 minutes clear of the peloton, with Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-Nippo) winning the stage.  

Cimolai is now Sagan's nearest rival on 113 points, followed by Gaviria at 110.

The story of the Giro - Nizzolo wins in his home Grand Tour 

One of the enduring storylines from the 2021 Giro d’Italia has been the ongoing heart-break for Giacomo Nizzolo.

The Italian sprinter from Qhubeka-Assos has finished second on 11 occasions at the Giro, as he just could not break through to take victory in his home Grand Tour.  

Despite his ever-growing collection of prestigious wins, most notably the European Championships road race and the Italian National Championships, Nizzolo has never take a stage in the biggest races, having raced the Giro eight times, the Tour de France twice, and the Vuelta a España once.

But stage 13 of the Giro was finally the opportunity for the 32-year-old to take the win he dreamed of and he couldn’t have won in better style.

Nizzolo was in perfect position onto the wide final straight into Verona, as he followed Fernando Gaviria’s wheel into the final few hundred metres,

It wasn’t plain sailing though as Edoardo Affini shot clear of the bunch in the final and threatened to win the day, forcing Nizzolo to launch his sprint early to chase down his compatriot.

Fortunately Nizzolo’s power won out, as he took his first Grand Tour victory, having made his debut back in 2012. 

Nizzolo’s reputation as a bridesmaid now comes to an end in memorable fashion, as we have an extremely popular stage 13 winner. 

Edoardo Affini almost steals the day in front of local crowds 

Aside from the winner, the unofficial ‘rider of the day’ title has to go to Edoardo Affini from Jumbo-Visma. 

The 24-year-old Italian already has reason to celebrate on the day, as the race passed through his home city of Mantova in the Lombardy region.

Affini was allowed to hang off the front of the bunch to be welcomed back home by local fans, as the race passed through Mantova 40km from the finish.

But that wasn’t the only time Affini would be out front, as the time trial specialist fired an ambitious attack from the front of the Jumbo-Visma lead-out train inside the final 500 metres of the stage. 

Affini pulled out a considerable gap into the final, as Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirate) was forced to chase him down. 

Nizzolo then launched his sprint from Gaviria’s wheel and only caught Affini around 20 metres from the finish.

Speaking after the stage, Affini said he had been laying down the power at the front of the bunch to set up his team’s sprinter Dylan Groenewegen, but said he accidentally found himself breaking free. 

While he admitted he was slightly disappointed not to win the stage, he also seemed to be delighted with his moment in the spotlight as he finished second on the day, and he helped bring an otherwise ambling day to an exciting finish.  

Peter Sagan misses the stage but still scores points 

Stage 13 of the Giro d’Italia was clearly not suited to a lighter sprinter like Peter Sagan, but after 12 previous days of hard racing the scales were tipped slightly further back in Sagan’s direction. 

Bora-Hansgrohe were clearly motivated to put their fast man at the front of the bunch for the sprint, even without splitting the race to pieces like they did on day 10 (which Sagan won). 

As the rapid finish unfolded, Sagan didn’t have the pure speed to match a rider like Nizzolo, but the real notable point is that Sagan still racked up another podium finish in his defence of the maglia ciclamino.

After stage 13, Sagan still leads the points classification albeit with a narrowed advantage to Nizzolo, who was won the jersey on two previous occasions. 

Sagan leads with 135 points, while Nizzolo now sits second on 126, setting up a fascinating final week where intermediate sprint opportunities could make all the difference. 

Fernando Gaviria is still lacking the speed (and the luck) 

Fernando Gaviria is still without a win in this Giro d’Italia, and the Colombian sprinter must be casting an increasingly frustrated figure on the team bus after every opportunity.  

After being well out of position on stage two sprint into Novara (finishing 24th), Gaviria opted for a new approach on stage five into Cattolica has he launched a long-range sprint from 400 metres out on the uphill rise, only to be passed by eventual winner Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) and slipping back to seventh.

Gaviria looked to be in a strong position to fight for victory on stage 10 to Foligno, as his lead-out man Juan Sebastian Molano fired early on the final right hand turn, only for Gaviria not to follow, with Sagan reaping the benefits and forcing him into second place. 

Stage 13 into Verona looked to be a good opportunity for Gaviria, who relies on sustained straight-line power rather than instantaneous kick like Caleb Ewan, but things still didn’t go according to plan.

Gaviria found himself on the front of the bunch too early and was forced to chase down Affini’s solo attack, which set up Nizzolo to fire past at speed.

After the finish, pictures emerged showing tha Gaviria had been forced to sprint without a saddle, which had apparently fallen off in the final, adding to his string of missed opportunities. 

Another quiet day in Italy, but the Zoncolan is coming

Stage 13 was a classic Grand Tour transition stage, stretching to 198km of pan-flat racing, with no real action until Affini’s unexpected move. 

Fortunately the sprint finish did offer additional excitement with Nizzolo’s victory and Affini nearly holding on, but we should be even for more excitement in the next few days.

The Giro returns to the mountains on Saturday (May 2 22) and this time it’s the big ones - after a flat start to the day, making the breakaway battle a tough ask for the climbers, the stage heads towards the dreaded Zoncolan finish. 

At 14.1km with an 8.5 per cent average gradient (hitting 12.1 per cent in the final), the Zoncolan will be a major general classification opportunity for those chasing down maglia rosa Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers). 

But Bernal and his team are likely to defend their jersey to the bitter end with their traditional mountain train, which means rivals may have to be ambitious if they want to break their stronghold.

The Zoncolan has been the scene of many great battles in the Giro, last appearing in the race on stage 14 of the 2018 edition, where Chris Froome won the day before his near-impossible overall victory later in the race.  

Will the GC riders fight for the stage, or will the breakaway be allowed to reap the rewards again?  

Boss of Belgian team Deceuninck - Quick-Step, Patrick Lefevere has said that he needs another title sponsor to up his budget if he wants to sign Peter Sagan for the 2022 season.

This news comes after it was announced that Deceuninck will not be continuing its sponsorship of the team after three years, whereas Quick-Step has extended for another six.

It has been rumoured for some time that Sagan could be leaving the German squad of Bora-Hansgrohe and now it has been confirmed that there are talks with Lefevere's team.

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Sagan has one of the highest wages of any professional cyclist, so to be able to afford him, Lefevere has said he needs another main sponsor alongside Quick-Step, who are unable to up their budget for the team.

Speaking to Het Laatse Nieuws, Lefevere said: "I am working on a six-year project, and not on my budget for 2022 alone. Those are two things. Quick-Step has now extended. 

"It’s important that someone makes the first step. Other sponsors will likely follow now. I hope the results of [Julian] Alaphilippe and [Remco] Evenepoel inspire new sponsors to come on board."

Signing Sagan would also likely entail signing his brother Juraj as well as Maciej Bodnar, Daniel Oss, a press officer, soigneur and his mechanic which, according to Het Laatse Nieuws, all comes to around eight million euros with Sagan himself at five and half million.

"I can’t make eight million magically appear, I also don’t want a team within my team," Lefevere said. "If I want to be able to afford Sagan, I will have to talk to my sponsors again. If they are not ready to add the extra money, I can’t take him.”

Sagan, if signed, will likely fill the gap left by Sam Bennett who is likely returning to Bora-Hansgrohe now that both Sagan and Pascal Ackermann are leaving, with Ackermann rumoured to be going to UAE Team Emirates, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Ciro Scognamiglio.

Lefevere confirmed in Het Nieuwsblad earlier this month that Portuguese star João Almeida is also moving on from the Belgian squad in search for a sole-leadership role, but where is not yet known. 

Merlier wins on his first ever Grand Tour road stage

Despite coming up against a sprinters’ field that includes many veterans of multiple stage wins, it was a Grand Tour rookie who took the spoils.

Tim Merlier has impressed all season for Alpecin-Fenix, shining in the flatter spring Classics to win three races already this season — a total which is, incidentally, as many as his much more famous team-mate Mathieu van der Poel has this spring.

But this was new territory for the 28-year-old Belgian, who has never before ridden a Grand Tour, and therefore lacks experience in the kind of hectic, tense and highly competitive sprints you get at this level, of which today’s messy finish was a quintessential example.

Despite the new and difficult circumstances, Merlier passed the test with flying colours, outpacing Giacomo Nizzolo (Qhubeka-Assos), Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo-Visma) and Elia Viviani (Cofidis) to take victory. 

With this win in the bag he’s proven himself to be an elite sprinter, and is likely to be in the mix in the sprints to come. 

Groenewegen in the mix on his return to racing

There were big question marks heading into the race concerning whether Dylan Groenewegen would be able to immediately compete for stage wins after such a long break from racing after his nine-month ban, especially considering how late the decision was for him to ride the Giro.

On his stage two showing, it appears he’s certainly ready. The Dutchman managed to latch onto Giacomo Nizzolo’s wheel in the sprint, and although he wasn’t quite able to come around the Italian, he still had the strength to resist the challenge from those behind him to seal third-place.

Some thought that Jumbo-Visma may choose to back David Dekker in the sprints rather than Groenewegen, after Dekker impressed earlier this at the UAE Tour. But Groenewegen insisted at the start of the day that he was designated sprinter, and indeed Dekker was one of several riders (including yesterday’s runner-up Edoardo Affini in the purple jersey) helping protect him at the front of the bunch as the finale approached.  

We’re used to seeing Groenewegen put in a quicker finishing kick than this in the past, but he will certainly take heart after what has been such a long time out of racing. If he can keep improving and blow off the cobwebs, a stage win later down the line is certainly on the cards. 

Gaviria nearly felled by his own teammate

Although the opening road stage thankfully passed mostly without any crashes, with Davide Gabburo (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè) the day’s only victim of a crash, Fernando Gaviria only narrowly avoided going down in the finale after nearly colliding with his own lead-out man Juan Sebastian Molano. 

After being distanced from his lead-out to the sprint, Molano ended up inadvertently getting in the way of Gaviria as the Colombian attempted to go around him through a narrow gap by the barrier, and became unbalanced as he attempted to squeeze through. 

While it certainly could have been worse had he not kept his balance, Gaviria will rue not being able to produce a sprint.

Pre-stage favourite Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) will also be disappointed having slipped down the peloton during the lead-out and therefore failing to launch a sprint.

Elia Viviani (Cofidis) will also have hoped to have done better, especially after his Cofidis teammates did such a great lead-out for him, leading the peloton as it negotiated the final tricky bends in the road. The Italian simply didn’t have the legs to match the accelerations of Merlier, Nizzolo and Groenewegen when they started their sprints, and has to settle for fourth. 

But Nizzolo will probably be happy with his legs after sprinting for second, even if his long, frustrating run without winning a Giro d’Italia stage continues. 

Confusion at the intermediate sprint 

Prior to the bunch finish, the first intermediate sprint of the Giro ended in embarrassment for the four sprinters who contested it as they mistook which mark they were meant to be sprinting for. 

Elia Viviani, Fernando Gaviria, Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Andrea Pasquelon (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) all moved to the front of the bunch as the sprint approached, with Viviani appearing to win to take maximum points. 

But it turned out that they had mistaken the 40km to go banner for the sprint line, which was a few meters further up the road. 

Once realising this, Gaviria rolled through ahead of Viviani to take the eight points available (after the leading breakaway duo had gained the maximum points).  

Despite the mistake, the quartet all at least managed to register points in the points classification, and by going for the sprint signalled their intent to compete for the maglia ciclamino.  

Notably absent from the sprint were Caleb Ewan, Tim Merlier, Dylan Groenewegen and Giacomo Nizzolo, all of whom decided to save their energy for the sprint at the end of the stage.  

That’s not surprising from Ewan (who may not be planning on making it all the way to Milan, given how he intends to ride all three Grand Tours this season), Merlier (who might find challenging for that competition difficult given he’s a Grand Tour debutant) and Groenewegen (who’s coming back from such a long time off from racing). 

But you might have expected Nizzolo to compete for it, given he’s twice won the maglia ciclamino in his career. Clearly his priority is to finally win what would be a long-awaited first ever Giro d’Italia stage win.  

Credit to the breakaway trio on an uneventful opening road stage

On stages like this, where not a lot happens for most of the day and the vast majority of the bunch enjoy an easy day in the saddle, credit to the riders who commit to going out on the attack and getting into the breakaway.

Stage two, three riders put their nose to the wind, all three of them from the wildcard Italian teams: Umberto Marengo from Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè, Filippo Tagliani from Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec and Vincenzo Albanese from EOLO-Kometa. 

These riders are the unsung heroes of Grand Tours, who are obliged to commit to breakaways which have virtually no chance of succeeding in service of their teams, acting as human billboards for their sponsors as the TV cameras follow their progress throughout the day.  

If you find yourself with a sudden inexplicable urge to buy some Androni Giocattoli toys for your kids, switch your internet service provider to Eolo, or invest in some Bardiani hygienic valves, then they’ll have done their job.  

>>> Giro d'Italia 2021 standings: The latest results from the 104th edition 

Of the three riders, Albanese will be most rewarded for his efforts, after he won the sprint on the day’s only climb to take the lead in the mountains classification.

 He was in no rush to join the other two after later being struck by a mechanical, and returned to the peloton, but by winning that sprint he’ll wear the maglia azzurra on stage three — a significant achievement for both him and his team. 

Peter Sagan looked very strong on stage one of the Tour de Romandie 2021, beating a strong field of sprinters including Italian Sonny Colbrelli who finished second behind the Slovakian.

Speaking after the finish, Sagan has thanked his team for their "continued support" as his contract with Bora-Hansgrohe is in doubt for next season.

Sagan was perfectly placed going into the final few corners as he battled for Colbrelli's (Bahrain Victorious) wheel. His team relied mostly on the team of the overall leader Rohan Dennis (Ineos Grenadiers) to do most of the day's work before starting their chase with around 40km to go.

The former three-time world champion has not raced the Tour de Romandie since 2010 where he won ahead of Francesco Gavazzi (then Lampre-Farnese Vini) and Nicolas Roche (then Ag2r La Mondiale) in a bunch sprint to take his third ever career victory.

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Speaking after the finish, Sagan said: "I'm really happy to win again in the Tour de Romandie. In 2010 I had taken the first road stage and here I am eleven years later with another victory.

"I have to thank my teammates for their great job today, in the last two laps they were pulling in the front and after the last climb, they held the bunch together.

"It feels nice after three weeks without any racing to come here and win, probably the only stage suited to me because the following ones will be very hard. Thanks as well to the whole team and its sponsors for their continuous support."

Last month, Bora-Hansgrohe team manager Ralph Denk raised doubts about Sagan's future with the team, questioning how long the three-time world champion can justify his salary with his performances on the road.

Sagan, who put in a very strong time in the prologue on the race's first day, has now moved up to fifth in the overall standings just twelve seconds behind Dennis and three seconds behind Geraint Thomas and Richie Porte (both Ineos Grenadiers) on the podium spots.

Team sports director, Jan Valach said: "It was a nice stage for us today but a hard one as well, with 2,600 metres of altitude gain. The goal we had set was to win, we all worked towards it and we achieved it.

"We controlled from the start to avoid having a big breakaway group, Juraj [Sagan], Jordi [Meeus], and Marcus Burghardt put in a big effort to keep things under control. Juraj and Jordi contributed to catching the break while Burgi placed the squad in the right position before the final climb.

"Then, Ben [Zwiehoff] was essential in bringing back all the late attacks in the closing, flat, kilometres. This excellent teamwork was finally capped off with a good sprint by Peter and a stage win.

"Last but certainly not least, Wilco [Kelderman] was always in the leading front group and finished safely with the main GC contenders."

Stage two suits a rider who can get over the hills but also have a fast finish. It could potentially be another perfect day for Sagan, but he comes up against some very solid riders like Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana-Premier Tech).