Peter Sagan wins 2015 Amgen Tour of California

(Image credit: Watson)

PETER SAGAN
Date of birth:
26/01/1990

From: Žilina, Slovakia

Team: Tinkoff

Previous teams: Cannondale (2010-2014)

Peter Sagan career profile

One could easily assume that the palmarès of Peter Sagan belongs to a rider fifteen years his senior. Remarkably, this winner of three stages in the Vuelta a Espana along with others in the Tour de Suisse, Tour of California and Paris-Nice is only 21 years of age.

The manner in which Peter Sagan has burst onto the scene of professional cycling mirrors the way he has taken many of his wins. A rider of immense physical strength and tactical nous, Sagan is already widely feared for his powerful sprint.

His talent doesn't stop there, as he has shown he is perfectly capable of transferring his sprinting ability to uphill finishes.

Nicknamed ‘Terminator' for the manner in which he tested mountain bikes to breaking point when starting out at Liquigas, the quiet and polite rider has shown a tremendous versatility in the short amount of racing he has completed.

In fact, Sagan's success could be the greatest threat to him being able to add to his bulging tally of victories.

If Liquigas can continue to nurture and develop his capabilities and resist the temptation to throw him into two many races too soon, he has the potential to become one of the most dominant riders in contemporary road cycling.

Sagan realised his full potential in 2012, sweeping to win stages of several major stage races topped by three stage wins and the green jersey in the Tour de France, at his first attempt.

Sagan took his first classics win at Ghent-Wevelgem in 2013, attacking from an 11-rider lead group to solo across the line - with enough time to pop a crowd-pleasing wheelie as he did so.

Sagan signed for Tinkoff-Saxo for the 2015 season, but failed to take a victory during his targetted spring classics, and did not take a win until a stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. In mid-May Sagan took his first major stage race win, clinching the overall title in the Tour of California after winning two stages, including the time trial.

Sagan took arguably the biggest one-day race result of his career in September 2015, taking a convincing victory in the men's road race at the UCI World Championships to earn the rainbow jersey.

A run of second places at the beginning of the 2016 season was finally broken by victory in Ghent-Wevelgem followed by his first monument win at the Tour of Flanders.

Peter Sagan results

2016

Ghent-Wevelgem

Tour of Flanders

Tirreno-Adriatico; points classification

Tour of California; stage one

2015

Tirreno-Adriatico; stage six

Tirreno-Adriatico; points classification

Tour of California; stage four

Tour of California; stage six (ITT)

Tour of California; overall

Tour de Suisse; stage three

Tour de Suisse; stage six

Tour de France; points classification

Vuelta a Espana; stage three

National champion; road race

World champion; road race

2014

Tour of Oman; stage four

Tirreno-Adriatico; stage three

Tirreno-Adriatico; points classification

E3 Harelbeke

Three Days of De Panne; stage one

Tour of California; stage seven

Tour de Suisse; stage three

Slovakia road race national champion

Tour de France; points classification

2013

Tour of Oman; stage two

Tour of Oman; stage three

Gran Premio Citta di Camaiore

Tirreno-Adriatico; stage three

Tirreno-Adriatico; stage six

Ghent-Wevelgem

Three Days of De Panne; stage one

Brabantse Pijl

Tour of California; stage three

Tour of California; stage eight

Tour de Suisse; stage three

Tour de Suisse; stage eight

Tour de France; stage seven

Tour de France; points classification

Three Days of De Panne; stage one

USA Pro Challenge; stage one

USA Pro Challenge; stage three

USA Pro Challenge; stage six

USA Pro Challenge; stage seven

Tour of Alberta; prologue ITT

Tour of Alberta; stage one

Tour of Alberta; stage five

Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal

2012
Tour of Oman; stage two

Tour of Oman; points classification

Tirreno-Adriatico; stage four

Three Days of De Panne; stage one

Tour of California; stage one

Tour of California; stage two

Tour of California; stage three

Tour of California; stage four

Tour of California; stage eight

Tour de Suisse; stage one ITT

Tour de Suisse; stage three

Tour de Suisse; stage four

Tour de Suisse; stage six

Tour de France; stage one

Tour de France; stage three

Tour de France; stage six

Tour de France; points classification

2011

GP Industria e Commercio di Prato

Vuelta a Espana; stage 21

Vuelta a Espana; stage 12

Vuelta a Espana; stage six

Tour de Pologne; overall classification

Tour de Pologne; points classification

Tour de Pologne; stage five

Tour de Pologne; stage four

Slovakian National Championships, road race

Tour de Suisse; points classification

Tour de Suisse; stage eight

Tour de Suisse; stage three

Tour of California; stage five

Giro di Sardegna; overall classification

Giro di Sardegna; stage four

Giro di Sardegna; stage three

Giro di Sardegna; stage one

2010

Tour of California; stage six

Tour of California; stage five

Tour de Romandie; stage one

Paris-Nice; points classification

Paris-Nice; stage five

Paris-Nice; stage three

Related links

Cycling Weekly Rider Profiles: index

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Richard Abraham is an award-winning writer, based in New Zealand. He has reported from major sporting events including the Tour de France and Olympic Games, and is also a part-time travel guide who has delivered luxury cycle tours and events across Europe. In 2019 he was awarded Writer of the Year at the PPA Awards.