Peter Sagan Biography, Life, Interesting Facts

Childhood And Early Life

Champion cyclist Peter Sagan was born 26 January 1990. He is the youngest of five children. He has three brothers and a sister. His older brother Juraj Saga is also a professional cyclist.

Rise To Stardom

Peter Sagan was interested in riding bikes from a young age, and when he was nine, he joined a local club. At this time, was riding both road and mountain bikes. Sagan’s first professional cycling break came when he joined Dukla Trencin Merida, a Slovakian team in the Continental Pro second division.

In 2008, he won the Junior World Championship in Vale di Sole. Then, the same year, he finished second at the Cyclocross Junior World Championships and the Junior Paris-Roubaix. After joining a Pro Tour team, Quick Step, for road testing, he could not get a contract and was thinking about quitting road racing. Fortunately, his family talked him out of quitting professional cycling He decided instead to approach Liquigas-Doimo. They offered him a two-year contract (2010-2011), the contract; later extended to 2012. Doctors and managers were impressed with Sagan’s strength and fitness.

Professional Cycling Career

2010

Peter Sagan took part in the Tour Down Under held in Australia in January 2010. He was involved in a smash in Australia and need stitches but kept cycling. In joined three riders, including Australian Cadel Evans to help Sanchez win. During the Paris-Nice (2010) Sagan won his first and second pro tour stages. Sagan then won the 5th and 6th stages at the Tour of California (2010). At the 2010 Tour of California, Sagan won the 5th and the 6th stage,

2011

Peter Sagan participated in the Giro di Sardegna and won the green jersey on points; he won the first, third and fourth stages. He did well in the Tour of California and again, won the green jersey. Next, he won the Tour de Pologne and won the green jersey at the Vuelta a Espana by taking the sixth, twelfth and twenty-first stages of the race. His winning streak continued when he came first in the Slovak National Road Championship and second in the Philadelphia Championship.

2012

Peter Sagan won the green jersey at the Tour of Oman. He then won stage four of the Tirreno-Adriatico and the first of the Three Days of De Panne. He also won the green jersey in the Tour of California. Then in 2012, he won his first Tour de France, having won the green jersey in the first, third and sixth stages. 

2013

The year started well with Peter Sagan winning both the Slovak National Road Championship and the Gwent-Wevelgem. He then won the Brabantse Pijl, GranPremio Citta di Camaiore, and the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal. In the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, he was awarded the green jersey after coming to the first, third, sixth and seventh stages. He then won the green jersey in the 2013 Tour de France. His winning form continued throughout 2014 and 2015. 

2014

Peter Sagan dominated the Tour de France green jersey competition but did not manage a Grand Tour stage win. He came in second at Strade Bianche, third at Gent-Wevelgem and six at Paris-Roubaix.

The season marked the end of his time with the Cannondale team. As part of his preparation for his new team, Tinkoff-Saxo, he joined the team for a ride ascending Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.

2015

By winning the World Road Race Championships in Richmond, Virginia; Peter Sagan became the first Slovakian rider to win the race.

2016

He won the 2015 Tour of Flanders and subsequently ranked number one in the UCI World Rankings.
At the Tour de Suisse, he broke Hugo Koblet, and Ferdinand Kubler’s record for the most stage wins at the Tour de Suisse. Then at the Tour de France, he became only the second rider to win the points clarification five times.

When the 2016 European Road Championships was opened to elite riders, he became the inaugural winner of the men's road race.

Also in 2016, Peter Sagan became the first rider to retain the world title since Paolo Bettini, at the World Road Race Championships in Qatar.

German team Bora-Hansgrohe announced in August 2016 that Peter Sagan would join the team starting in 2017. Teammates include his brother Juray. Peter Sagan signed a three-year contract with Bora-Hansgrohe

2017

Peter Sagan participated in the Tour Down Under and finished second on stages 3, 4 and 6. He finished second in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne was the 90th win of his career and the first for the new Bora-Hansgrohe team. He had an accident at the Strade Bianche 2017 and withdrew due to an injury. He then won his second race of the season in Stage 3 of Tirreno-Adriatico.

He also won Stage 5, won Red Jersey on of the Points Classification and came in second behind Fernando Gaviria.

Life And Legacy

Peter Sagan married Katarina Smolkova in 2015, and they reside in Monaco.

One of his nicknames is The Terminator. This was because as a young, enthusiastic rider, he was a bit heavy-handed with his bikes.

Peter Sagan co-owns a hair salon with his sister; who also still cuts his hair.

Cycling News reported in March 2017 that Filippo Pozzato said he believed that he that Peter Sagan was the strongest rider of all time.