Cycling: Peter Sagan changes his jersey. What is the history of TotalEnergies? (profile)

BRATISLAVA. After five years, history repeats itself. Peter Sagan changes the jersey, but his steps again do not lead to one of the leading cycling teams.

Aim for the team “only” with a Pro license, which falls into the second sequence of teams.

While in 2016 a native of Žilina announced cooperation with the then procontinental team Bora-Hansgrohe, this time it is the French TotalEnergies.

Along with Bodnar, Ossom

There was a lot of talk about Sagan’s future, especially the alleged interest of the Deceuninck team – Quick-Step. However, several factors played against it.

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Whether the amount of a possible contract or the effort of a Slovak competitor to take with him his traditional domesticists or members of the implementation team.

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“It’s eight to ten people, which is a problem. Today, such big transfers are not done much. In the case of Deceuninck, it would probably not be possible, so I was surprised that this team was talked about,” said Peter Zánický, Petr Sagan’s first coach. .

In the case of the procontinental team, this “requirement” had a better chance of being implemented. Sagan has agreed on a two-year contract, confirming that Polish Maciej Bodnar and Italian Daniel Oss are joining him on the team.

A team that needs victory

For the team as TotalEnergies, Sagan was a great attraction. “We are rightly proud of Peter’s commitment. He is clearly one of the most popular riders in the world and a great talent,” said Jean-René Bernaudeau, the organization’s manager.

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Although Sagan no longer achieves as many stage triumphs as a few years ago, he is still interesting in terms of marketing and brings a lot of publicity to the team. He will be in a similar position, for example, Mathieu van der Poel in the Alpecin-Fenix team.

Thanks to Sagan, the French team will probably receive invitations to prestigious events and, like this year, it should not miss the Tour de France.

Plus, if TotalEnergies needs something, it’s a victory. There are only five of them this year, three of them in less attractive races around Rwanda.

Sagan will clearly be the team’s greatest personality, and in classics or sprints, the team’s support will focus on him. “This is a new adventure and I’m really looking forward to it. Jean-Rene is a manager who wants to change the world of cycling.

I hope I can help the team achieve their goals and win as many races as possible in the new jersey, “Sagan told the team website.

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Successful Europcar period

In its history, the Total Energies team has changed its name several times. In previous seasons, he presented himself as Total Direct Energy, Direct Energy and cycling fans will certainly remember the name Europcar.

French cyclists such as Thomas Voeckler, Sylvain Chavanel and Pierre Rolland had a good reputation for the team.

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The first named even wore a yellow jersey for the Tour de France leader for ten days. Although he was not one of the best climbers, he managed to fight Cadel Evans or Andy Schleck and entertained the audience with his traditional grimaces.

In France, he caused a cycling frenzy, something like in 2019, his equally famous compatriot and reigning world champion Julian Alaphilippe.

He was in a yellow jersey Voeckler even seven years earlier. Then in the colors of the Brioches La Boulangère team, which is also one of the forerunners of today’s TotalEnergies.

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The year 2011 was extremely successful for Europcar. In addition to the fourth Voeckler, he finished tenth Rolland, who won one stage and became the best racer under 25. He wore a white jersey in Paris.

In several years, one of Petr Sagan’s rivals in the fight for the green jersey at the Tour de France was another domestic racer Bryan Coquard. In 2014, this sprinter even finished in third place in the scoring.

Despite many places in the elite ten, he has never managed to win the most famous cycling races. Today, however, he is already part of the B&B Hotels team.

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With Terpstro in one team?

The official website listed the riders on the overall standings, Pierre Latour, sprinter Niccol Bonifazio and three skilled classicists – Edvald Boasson Hagen, Anthony Turgis and Niki Terpstruus – as their current biggest stars.

The last named Dutchman has not yet been confirmed for the next season and in the past he did not have the most cordial relationship with Peter Sagan. As a driver of the Quick-Step, he was his big competitor during the spring Belgian classics.

Sagan was angry with him especially after the Gent-Wevelgen race in 2017.

“I didn’t know what Terpstra wanted to do. He escapes, and then he doesn’t want to cooperate. This is one of the ways to lose the race against me. I’m not his teammate, why should I work for him?

I’m not disappointed, but racing alone against everyone is no longer a sport, but a very unfair game, “Sagan commented on the Belgian television Sporza.

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Terpstra argued that Sagan was the strongest of their group and that he should have been the initiator of the prosecution of the escaping racers. An interesting situation also occurred at the race Around Flanders, just a few weeks later.

Sagan fell and lost his glasses. They were lying on the track and Terpstra did not hesitate to cross them. Only he himself knows whether the intention was in it. However, it would undoubtedly be interesting to watch the mentioned duo not as competitors, but as teammates.

However, it must be admitted that Terpstra is no longer in the same condition as at the time when he won the monumental classics Paris-Roubaix and Around Flanders. His results are not dazzling due to injuries and his cycling future is questionable.

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A new bicycle manufacturer is also coming

The fact that TotalEnergies is changing bicycles also played a role in signing Petr Sagan’s new two-year contract with the French team.

He will cooperate with the Specialized company, one of the faces of which has been the three-time world champion since 2015.

“Peter is a huge part of writing our history in cycling. We are fortunate to continue this partnership together and look forward to more exciting years. In addition, we expect great things from Team TotalEnergies,” Specialized founder Mike Sinyard told cyclingtips.com.

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