Cadel Evans: I see something of myself in Peter Sagan
Cadel Evans got the weight of unfulfilled expectations off his shoulders with a World Championships win in 2009 - similar to that of Peter Sagan in 2015
Tour de France 2011 winner Cadel Evans sees himself in new world champion Peter Sagan: someone undervalued but wins big.
Evans retired on February 1; he too won the Worlds in 2009. The title was a turning point in his career, afterwards joining BMC, winning La Flèche Wallonne and, of course, becoming the first Australian to stand on top of the Tour's podium.
Team Tinkoff-Saxo's Sagan came under fire the last two years for falling short in the big one-day monuments. However, he attacked solo in Richmond, Virginia, to win the Worlds. He now has the right to wear the rainbow jersey for one year.
When asked by La Gazzetta dello Sport about 2015's best performances, Evans said:"I'll select two, Sagan at the Worlds and Nibali in Lombardia,"
"Not because they are the last ones, and they are the freshest. They are what cycling's about.
"Behind the wins there's much character. Take Sagan. Many speak against him, they say that he never wins. A little like me, before the Worlds and Tour...But the talent came out. It was simply inevitable that someone like him would win something important."
Sagan explained earlier this month that the monuments from Milan-San Remo to Paris-Roubaix are still on his radar. They will be his main goals of the coming 2016 season.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"I'm very proud of this jersey. I can wear it, and I'm also very happy to race in it, I want to and I'll keep fighting for the best possible results," Sagan said.
"If I'm going to race, I want to do the classics. [Winning a monument is] what I want to do. I have to try."
Evans, 38, lives in Switzerland and continues working with BMC Racing as an ambassador.
"Never," Evans said when asked if he had regrets about retiring.
"I crossed the finish line, drew a line and restarted. The next day, I was on my bike. People used to see me and ask about the upcoming races. Now, they say, 'How nice to see you riding.'"
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins to reunite on the bike to raise money for US hurricane relief
The British knights will be joined by Jan Ullrich at the Gran Fondo Hincapie next week
By Adam Becket Published
-
Magicshine won our bike light group test and now its RN 1200 front light is reduced for Amazon Prime Day
We rate Magicshine lights highly and this 1200 lumens front light is no different - and now its reduced by 20%
By Luke Friend Published
-
Peter Sagan given suspended prison sentence for drink driving offence
Three-time road world champion also banned from driving for three months, on eve of Tour de France
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Eyeing the Olympic mountain bike race in Paris, Peter Sagan will retire from WorldTour racing at season's end
Finishing how he started, the former road world champion will race one last mountain bike-focused year in 2024
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Peter Sagan rescued stranded cycling tourist in Gran Canaria who thought group of pros were a 'bunch of kids'
Along with three other pros, Sagan helped fix a 63-year-old's puncture in Gran Canaria
By Ryan Dabbs Published
-
Peter Sagan tests positive for Covid for a second time
Three-time world champion and his brother, Juraj, have had their plans disrupted by virus
By Adam Becket Published
-
Peter Sagan expresses regret at incident with Monaco police: 'I wish to take this opportunity to convey my most sincere apologies'
Sagan was fined €5,000 for resisting arrest and injuring a police officer
By Ryan Dabbs Published
-
Peter Sagan fined after incident with Monaco police when breaking Covid-19 curfew
The Slovakian star's representative said that he feared he would be "forced to be vaccinated" against Covid
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
-
Peter Sagan to make Team TotalEnergies debut at 2022 Vuelta a San Juan
He will race the seven-stage Argentinian race from January 30-February 6
By Ryan Dabbs Published
-
Peter Sagan confident ahead of TotalEnergies switch: 'We are going to build a team around me'
The Slovakian expressed his enthusiasm to race at the French-based, ProTeam level side
By Ryan Dabbs Published