Posted on 07/04/2016 5:40:42 PM PDT by DUMBGRUNT
He always is. That Crazy Bike Person at your workplace who can’t stop talking about pro cycling? Chances are his or her favorite racer is Sagan....
“If I ever grow up, I want to be like Peter Sagan,” says Jens Voigt, the cultishly popular German rider who retired from cycling in 2014. “He’s the Man.”...
He chuckles. Sagan is one of the highest paid riders in the sport, at a salary reported to be close to $4.5 million annually, and he is beloved by his sponsors.
Consider the World Championships, held last September in Richmond, Virginia. For most of the race, Sagan hid in the pack, or “peloton.” Only in the final lap did he emerge—making a daring move on a short, punchy climb before escaping on a descent and hanging on for a brilliant solo victory...
He rode it like he stole it, as the saying goes. It’s the way every rider wants to win a bike race...
King recalls a punishing training ride in Italy in which he looked over and Sagan was riding uphill, in a wheelie, with no hands.
“He was basically a circus bear riding a unicycle,”
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Peter Sagan bunny-hops over Fabian Cancellara’s bike after the Swiss hits the cobbles in Paris-Roubaix
Eddie Mercxx....
wow that is a nasty roadway for road racing bikes, geez people, we are not riding mountain bikes here....
Paris-Roubaix is definitely hard-core!
Jacques Anquetil.
Eddie Merckx, simply the best of the best.
Three times Paris–Roubaix winner.
Maybe just one of the stories you pick up from the gutter, But they say that Merckx often rode when he was not in form, because if he didn’t ride, the team didn’t eat.
The Armstrong-Ullrich crashes are great stuff, but do not think Armstrong ever enter Paris–Roubaix, he might get hurt!
Beyond hard-core!
Sometimes called a Sunday in hell!
About 160 miles, and many sections on cobblestones!
The American television channel CBS covered Paris–Roubaix in the 1980s. Theo de Rooij, a Dutchman, had been in a promising position to win the 1985 race but had then crashed, losing his chance of winning. Covered in mud, he offered his thoughts on the race to CBS’ John Tesh after the race:
“It’s a bollocks, this race!” said de Rooij. “You’re working like an animal, you don’t have time to piss, you wet your pants. You’re riding in mud like this, you’re slipping ... it’s a pile of shit.”
When then asked if he would start the race again, de Rooij replied:
“Sure, it’s the most beautiful race in the world!”
I have a spring bucket list trip planned for France and Belgium. It includes riding the cyclosportive events the day before the pro races. One of them is the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders). Now I find out that there is one for the Paris Roubaix.
You know if you add a motor to that bicycle you would not have to pedal so hard.....
The video he made with his wife was fun.
#1. Merckx retired 38 years ago.
#2. It’s Eddy, not Eddie
#3. Merckx doping positives: 3; Sagan doping positives: 0
http://bit.ly/29eqZRz
#4: Even doped to the gills, Merckx could never do this:
http://bit.ly/1l8VoR7
Sagan, OTOH, does it cleans.
Sagan drew a significant amount of attention when he appeared at the Slovak Cup with a bicycle borrowed from his sister. Sagan had mistakenly sold his own and had not received a spare from the Velosprint sponsor in time. He won the race despite riding a supermarket bike with poor brakes and limited gearing.
Sagan's first professional cycling opportunity came along when he was hired by the Dukla Trenčín-Merida team, a Slovak outfit in the Continental (third) division. In 2008, he won the Mountain Bike Junior World Championship in Val di Sole. That same year he also finished second in the Cyclocross Junior World Championships in Treviso and the Junior Paris–Roubaix.[7] Sagan joined a Pro Tour team Quick-Step for road testing but failed to secure a contract.
His frustration was so deep that he decided to quit road cycling, however pressed by his family he gave it a try with Liquigas–Doimo and succeeded. Liquigas' Zanatta offered Sagan a two-year contract (2010–2011) with an option to ride mountain bikes for Cannondale. In April 2010 the contract was extended to 2012. Liquigas doctors and managers were stunned by results of Sagan's medical tests, saying that they had never seen a 19-year-old rider as physically strong and capable. During the training camp Sagan destroyed more mountain bikes than any other rider due to his ability to put a bike through its paces. This earned him the nickname "Terminator"
credit to wikipedia
His sisters bike!!!
Nice find!!!
Sagan drew a significant amount of attention when he appeared at the Slovak Cup with a bicycle borrowed from his sister. Sagan had mistakenly sold his own and had not received a spare from the Velosprint sponsor in time. He won the race despite riding a supermarket bike with poor brakes and limited gearing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.