Peter Sagan dropped a chain in sprint final of stage seven at Tour de France 2020
After a masterclass in the chaotic racing by Bora-Hansgrohe, Sagan was left disappointed at the finish
After his Bora-Hansgrohe team dominated proceedings on stage seven of the Tour de France 2020, Peter Sagan was hit by misfortune and dropped a chain in the sprint for the line.
Sagan’s team kicked off the action almost immediately on the road from Millau to Lavaur, setting a rapid pace on the early climbs to distance Sam Bennett (Deceuninck - Quick-Step).
The tactic worked perfectly as the pure sprinters lost contact with the front group and Sagan took points at the intermediate checkpoint, securing the green jersey from Bennett in the process.
German squad Bora continued to hold the front for the duration of the stage to keep the sprinters away, which eventually set up a reduced bunch sprint for the line.
Sagan was well-placed at the front heading into the final turn, but as he tried to fit through a gap on the left hand side of the road he appeared to lose momentum and slipped back to finish 13th.
Speaking after the stage Sagan revealed he dropped a chain as he opened his sprint.
The former three-time World Champion said: “I’m disappointed. We controlled the race today, with my teammates doing a super job.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
“Everything seemed very good and then I had bad luck in the final. My chain just dropped and I didn’t earn as many points as I wanted… but that’s cycling. I’m proud of all my teammates.
“They fought very hard from the beginning until the end.
“I can win the green jersey on stages like today, although with a different finale. Everything was very nice but the end was…f****** cycling."
But thanks to an outstanding tactical performance, Sagan still moves into the lead of the points classification with a nine-point advantage over Bennett.
The stage went to Wout van Aert, who revealed he hadn’t intended to fight for the win at the start of the day.
Van Aert planned to support his team leader Primoz Roglic in the crosswinds, but when he found himself at the front of the reduced group he said he couldn’t resist the opportunity to go for a second stage victory this Tour.
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
Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
'There's still some room for improvement' - Tadej Pogačar thinks he can get even better in 2025
After winning the Triple Crown of the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and the World Championships, Pogačar wants more
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Patrick Lefevere to step down as Soudal Quick-Step boss
Controversial Belgian to be replaced by Jurgen Foré after over 20 years in charge
By Adam Becket Last updated
-
Peter Sagan finishes second in last ever professional race
Former three time road world champion was the runner up in the Slovakian national MTB championships on Sunday
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'It's a miracle': The inside story of how Peter Sagan ended up on a team called Pierre Baguette
Six years after the dream first took root, Boris Horváth finally has Peter Sagan on his team
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Peter Sagan confident of return to bike in 15 days after latest heart procedure
Sagan recently underwent second operation in Italy to tackle heart rhythm related issues
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Peter Sagan undergoes second heart procedure, as Olympics nears
Return to training after first operation reveals further heart rhythm issues
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Peter Sagan undergoes heart procedure after experiencing ‘tachycardic episode’
Slovakian has ablation procedure in Italian hospital after heart rate exceeded 200 bpm during MTB race in Spain
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
In celebration of Peter Sagan, cycling's rock and roll frontman
As the three-time world champion is set to call time on his career in the WorldTour at the end of 2023, we thought we would take a look back at the glory days
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Wout van Aert moots building gravel world championships into 2023 programme
Belgian rider says gravel racing has a ‘great future’ as he considers worlds participation next year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Peter Sagan to ride the UCI Gravel World Championships to ‘give back to the people’
‘I still have much more to give’ says Sagan on the decision to head to Italy for the competition
By Tom Thewlis Last updated