Today is the start of the 110th edition of the Tour de France. For Peter Sagan, it will be the last in his career.
Photo: ČTK / Panoramic / Gvg
Peter Sagan v drese TotalEnergies.
The native of Žilina starts at Stara dama for the twelfth time.
He transformed the first eight seasons into a record seven green jerseys for the triumph in the points competition and firmly became one of the legends of the famous event.
Sagan says goodbye to the Tour in the shadow of an alcohol-related incident, for which he received a suspended sentence from a Monaco judge and lost his driver’s license.
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He didn’t even succeed in the general on the Tour at the national championship in Tlmačy.
In the sprint, he lost to his younger compatriot Matúš Štoček, and in addition, he suffered a fall in the finish, which he paid for with numerous abrasions – fortunately, not a fracture.
A demanding edition awaits Sagan and his colleagues from the peloton, as far as the kilometers covered are concerned, it will be the most difficult Tour in almost 20 years.
An angry Peter Sagan after the national championship in Tlmačy.
There will not be many opportunities for durable sprinters and fast classicists, but the three-time world champion does not lay down his arms in advance.
“I will try to fight for victory, maybe even for another green jersey. We’ll see if it’s possible because the competition is getting bigger,” Sagan responded for Friday’s edition of GBS and continued:
“As I get older, I do what I can. But I’m still at the front, so I’ll try to do my best.”
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The RTVS staff, which accompanies Sagan on the Tour, also prepared an interesting “toast”. When the winner of 12 stages on the Tour saw her, she obviously pleased him.
Slovak sports celebrities wished him well for his last Tour.
“Thank you for your achievements, for the joy you spread. I am a passionate cyclist and a big fan of the Tour de France, I watch it every year. Fingers crossed, we will follow you,” Marek Hamšík told Sagan.
NHL champion Marián Hossa also reacted: “Since you started to start on the Tour, I started watching it a lot more. Sometimes I get on my bike, go to the gym and pedal with you. You motivated me, I wish you the best.”
Read more If Sagan’s name was “Krkovička”… I was told at the embassy in Paris that even the media had changed to him
Petra Vlhová also joined, who revealed an interesting fact that perhaps few fans suspected.
“We never met in person, but I watched every race when I could. I’ve always been your biggest fan. I believe you will enjoy your last Tour,” the skiing superstar said.
The opening stage of the Tour de France 2023 starts on Saturday morning, watch it live with us.
2023-07-01 03:40:00
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