# Peter Sagan a Legitimate Contender



## sabgr8jr (Jan 23, 2014)

*Delete*

Deleted cause it is a spoiler


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## tvad (Aug 31, 2003)

Sagan has no chance for GC.


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

I think you're underestimating those mountains.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

I don't know, but this post belongs in the Pro Cycling forum, not here, especially since it contains spoilers. Please delete your text and start a new thread there.


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## sabgr8jr (Jan 23, 2014)

How do I move this? I cannot find a remove icon


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

edit your post and delete all the text, replacing it with (deleted).


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## ph0enix (Aug 12, 2009)

A lot of us don't know what happened on stage 7 yet. Thanks for spoiling it for us, bud!


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## AlanE (Jan 22, 2002)

Yeah, get out of the General Forum. TdF discusions don't belong here.

Oh, and by the way, Sagan has no chance for the GC, but he's a strong contender for the green jersey if he keeps coming in second. I also wonder if Cav will continue to get skunked. Sad to see so many crashes early on. I felt so bad for Tony Martin yesterday. Tejay seems to be well placed.


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## robt57 (Jul 23, 2011)

MMsRepBike said:


> I think you're underestimating those mountains.



Sagan may be in front of of Rodriguis, Contador, Nibali now.... 

Don't get me wrong, one of my fav riders. But by the third or fourth MTN stage, the grade will de-grade the Sagmeister most probably...


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## 9W9W (Apr 5, 2012)

I can't fault this guy for spoliling because I am bombarded with spoilers all day long! FB, instagram, emails, everywhere I turn there are spoilers. Short of deleting a chunk of friends and my instagram app... I've resolved myself to the fact that I'll know before I watch on DVR it like a robot-hawk after work.


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## tvad (Aug 31, 2003)

A lot of Forum Deputies around today.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

I've been pretty surprised how well he's done in these early sprint stages. I don't think of the guy as a sprinter yet he's come in second or third in most of the sprint stages. GC ... not a chance, but I'm sure he'd be very happy with a stage win. 

To bad Cavendish's dry run ended. That guy is a real wanker.


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## SauronHimself (Nov 21, 2012)

IDK if Sagan can win, but he is still wheelie good.


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## tvad (Aug 31, 2003)

SauronHimself said:


> IDK if Sagan can win, but he is still wheelie good.


Doh! I see what you did there!

Well played, sir.


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## Clipped_in (May 5, 2011)

Sagan will be riding solely for Contador in the mountains. These early stages have been his time to shine--which I think he has. No chance as a GC contender.


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## BCSaltchucker (Jul 20, 2011)

pmf said:


> I've been pretty surprised how well he's done in these early sprint stages. I don't think of the guy as a sprinter yet he's come in second or third in most of the sprint stages. GC ... not a chance, but I'm sure he'd be very happy with a stage win.
> 
> To bad Cavendish's dry run ended. That guy is a real wanker.


you have got to be new to watching pro cycling then. You will note Sagan won the Green Jersey 3 times before. He has consistently placed in the top 3 this week in sprints against hardcore near-quadzillas, LOL. That means: he is mainly a sprinter, and sprinting is his main weapon,and he is in the top 5 in the world for sprinting within the road pro ranks. Which means he will likely not finish within 20min of the leader on each of the 5 or 6 mtn days coming up, and GC chances are ... well you know


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## ibericb (Oct 28, 2014)

Good summary. In spite of ending the TdF three times prior holding the Green Jersey, the best he has ever done in those three years in GC Time is 40th.


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## tvad (Aug 31, 2003)

*Spoiler Alert*

Sagan has been unimpressive thus far in the TDF. He was right at the front near the finish today and yesterday, yet he didn't have the power to push through for a win.

Cav was a monster at the finish yesterday, and today Vuillermoz displayed an amazing acceleration on the uphill finish to win uncontested.


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## BCSaltchucker (Jul 20, 2011)

tvad said:


> Sagan has been unimpressive thus far in the TDF. He was right at the front near the finish today and yesterday, yet he didn't have the power to push through for a win.
> 
> Cav was a monster at the finish yesterday, and today Vuillermoz displayed an amazing acceleration on the uphill finish to win uncontested.


Depends on what the objective is. Sagan is not as pure a sprinter as Cav and Greipel. He's more like Kristoff, can go uphill on hills through the day, or work hard in a breakaway group and then sprint at the end too.

Sagan's main objective seems to be the Green Jersey, and they don't just give that to the guy who wins or tries to win the most stages. They give it to the guy with the most points .. who plays the points game with the most guile. he is very impressive at doing that


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## tvad (Aug 31, 2003)

BCSaltchucker said:


> Sagan is not as pure a sprinter as Cav and Greipel. He's more like Kristoff, *can go uphill on hills through the day, or work hard in a breakaway group and then sprint at the end too*.


Precisely why yesterday and today were days suited to him...and as I said, he was there at the end, but could not finish the job.



BCSaltchucker said:


> Sagan's main objective seems to be the Green Jersey, and they don't just give that to the guy who wins or tries to win the most stages. They give it to the guy with the most points .. who plays the points game with the most guile. he is very impressive at doing that


Agreed.


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## robt57 (Jul 23, 2011)

Just that fact this conversation is happening to a kid still in the white jersey is impressive in itself from my saddle...


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

robt57 said:


> Just that fact this conversation is happening to a kid still in the white jersey is impressive in itself from my saddle...


well last time that happened it was Andy Schleck. And we all know the conversations later on that topic


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## ibericb (Oct 28, 2014)

A big difference between Sagan and both Vuillermoz and Martin is about 30 lbs of weight. Today's win, at the end of a 9%+ grade into the finish for the stage win and 2nd (ahead of the group) was by two guys at 130 lb's vs. Sagan at 160 lbs. That's why he is not a good contender for the overall once they hit the mountains on Tuesday. Cavendish, Gallopin and Teejay face. the same challenge.


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## ph0enix (Aug 12, 2009)

ibericb said:


> A big difference between Sagan and both Vuillermoz and Martin is about 30 lbs of weight. Today's win, at the end of a 9%+ grade into the finish for the stage win and 2nd (ahead of the group) was by two guys at 130 lb's vs. Sagan at 160 lbs. That's why he is not a good contender for the overall once they hit the mountains on Tuesday. Cavendish, Gallopin and Teejay face. the same challenge.


It's about power to weight ratio. Weight is only part of the picture. Taller riders can get away with more weight.
According to Google:
Sagan - 6' tall, weight 163lbs
Froome - 6'1" tall, weight 157lbs
Tejay - 6'1" tall, weight 154lbs
Contador - 5'9" tall, weight 137lbs
Cav - 5' 9" tall, weight 154lbs
Gallopin - 5'11" tall, weight 154lbs


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## ibericb (Oct 28, 2014)

ph0enix said:


> It's about power to weight ratio. Weight is only part of the picture. Taller riders can get away with more weight.
> According to Google:
> Sagan - 6' tall, weight 163lbs
> Froome - 6'1" tall, weight 157lbs
> ...


Pretty much true, except for the size. You also need to consider the effect of size (cross sectional area) on aerodynamics where aero becomes important. In general, the best climbers are the small guys, the best sprinters are the big and powerful. On small or short hills the big guys can hang in there. But on those long mountain climbs, not so well.


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## Wesquire (May 27, 2015)

ph0enix said:


> It's about power to weight ratio. Weight is only part of the picture. Taller riders can get away with more weight.
> According to Google:
> Sagan - 6' tall, weight 163lbs
> Froome - 6'1" tall, weight 157lbs
> ...


I'd bet Armstrong's last nut that Froome is more than 7lbs lighter than Sagan.


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## ibericb (Oct 28, 2014)

Wesquire said:


> I'd bet Armstrong's last nut that Froome is more than 7lbs lighter than Sagan.


No idea when the weights were recorded, or how accurate they are, but the TdF personal Factsheets for Froome and Sagan show Froome as 72 kg (158.4 lb) and Sagan as 73 kg (106.6), a whopping 1 kg (2.2 lb) difference. 

The team sites show a significant difference. The Sky site lists Froome at 69 kg, and the Tinkoff site lists Sagan as 77 kg, or 8 kg (17.6 lbs) difference.

Who knows.


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## ph0enix (Aug 12, 2009)

Wesquire said:


> I'd bet Armstrong's last nut that Froome is more than 7lbs lighter than Sagan.


I bet you're right. That's what I got from Google though. I don't know where to find more accurate/current numbers.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

BCSaltchucker said:


> you have got to be new to watching pro cycling then. You will note Sagan won the Green Jersey 3 times before. He has consistently placed in the top 3 this week in sprints against hardcore near-quadzillas, LOL. That means: he is mainly a sprinter, and sprinting is his main weapon,and he is in the top 5 in the world for sprinting within the road pro ranks. Which means he will likely not finish within 20min of the leader on each of the 5 or 6 mtn days coming up, and GC chances are ... well you know


More like someone who used to follow it really closely for years and then got turned off to it.

I do still casually watch the TDF and I don't recall him ever being a player in sprint finish stages to the extent that Cavendish and folks like that are. Winning the green jersey doesn't necessarily mean you have to win stages.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

pmf said:


> More like someone who used to follow it really closely for years and then got turned off to it.
> 
> I do still casually watch the TDF and I don't recall him ever being a player in sprint finish stages to the extent that Cavendish and folks like that are. Winning the green jersey doesn't necessarily mean you have to win stages.


if 7 GT stage wins is not enough at the age of 25 there have been very very few sprinters in history.


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## Clipped_in (May 5, 2011)

pmf said:


> ...I don't recall him ever being a player in sprint finish stages to the extent that Cavendish and folks like that are. Winning the green jersey doesn't necessarily mean you have to win stages.


*Cavendish: Sagan’s ‘making us all look like juniors* LINK

No, he's not the same kind of pure sprinter as Cav et al., but he is definitely a sprinter and he will likely often be the first sprinter to the top of the hill over the next couple of weeks. He is remarkably versatile.

...But not a GC contender.


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## fazel (Mar 4, 2012)

Every time I watch him race, my appreciation grows. Nothing he does on a bicycle will surprise me.


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

Of course he's a contender.

He just one the world champeon chip.


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## sabgr8jr (Jan 23, 2014)

I laughed out loud when I got the notification on my phone that someone replied to this thread. It is nice to see Sagan in the rainbow stripes. He has been looming on the edge of breaking out for so long. I look forward to seeing what the young man has in store for us.


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