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Meet Peter Sagan, sometimes known as “the Hulk of the Bicycle World.”
If there is one thing that all cycling fans can agree on, it is that Peter Sagan is a living legend of the sport. Peter Sagan is already regarded as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
He is also noted for achieving the nearly unthinkable feat of winning the UCI World Championship three times in a row.
Furthermore, when he competed in the prestigious Tour de France for the first time in 2012, he was awarded the Maillot Vert jersey.
Until 2016, he never let anyone else wear the jersey.
Peter Sagan has 113 professional wins and has demonstrated that he is not limited to any one type of race by winning all of those titles.
He’s won everything from one-day classics to three-week races.
Peter is frequently lauded for his sheer strength, flair, and remarkable bike handling abilities.
Early Years and Early Career of Peter Sagan
The Terminator makes winning professional events look easy, but as we all know, it is quite difficult.
It takes a lot of training, unwavering dedication, and the willpower of a beast.
Peter had all of those from his childhood when he would compete in races in only a t-shirt and sports shoes, with no safety pads or anything.
During the race, he would drink ordinary water while the other racers consumed sports drinks.
With his plain clothes, Peter would stand out among the latest gadget users.
Sagan, who began his path in obscurity, remains as humble as a sage.
Sagan was born on January 26th, 1990.
He was born as the youngest child of Lubomir and Helena.
He grew up in Zilina, Slovakia, among two brothers and one sister.
Both parents worked in their family’s small grocery store.
A family of five was reliant on the little business, making it difficult for Peter and his siblings to mature.
Peter Sagan was born in a modest Eastern European town.
Most of his family members were interested in riding when he was growing up.
His family pushed him to compete in races.
Sagan preferred to be outside in nature as a child rather than in school with books.
Peter began cycling at the age of nine, motivated by his older brother, Juraj Sagan.
He afterward joined a local club and started dominating local events.
But it wasn’t until he won Slovakia’s national premier junior championship that he earned substantial notice.
He won the championship in 2009 with an off-the-shelf bike borrowed from his sister.
Professional Career of Peter Sagan
Following the publicity, he was solicited by sponsors for business.
He finally started his professional cycling career after securing a sponsorship contract.
In 2009, Sagan began his professional cycling career.
Dukla Trencin Merida, a Slovakian road cycling team created in 2004, was his first squad.
Sagan did not remain long with his first team; after only a few months, he joined Deceuninck-Quick-Step but did not find an appealing difference. As a result, he did not enter into an agreement with them.
In 2010, Sagan finally won a notable contract for the first time, signing a two-year deal with Liquigas-Doimo.
He wowed the sponsors throughout the training and try-out sessions by wrecking many mountain bikes.
The same year, he competed in the Tour Down Under, where a crash severely injured his arms and thighs.
But it was only a scratch for the great, who continued and finished the race despite his new injuries.
He competed in the Paris-Nice race in 2010, winning the first and second stages but not the race.
He also took part in the 2010 Tour of California, winning the fifth and sixth stages.
He was also given the Points Jersey and the Youth Competition, however, he came in eighth place overall on the leaderboard.
In 2011, he will win his first professional title.
Sagan won the Giro di Sardegna by winning the first, third, and fourth stages, as well as the green jersey for most points.
Achievements of Peter Sagan
It would surely be tough for the sport’s young rising stars to replicate Sagan’s career achievements.
Sagan’s name is etched in sports history as the first to reach such grandeur after earning his seventh green jersey for the most points in the Tour de France race as the best sprinter and his third World Championship championship in a row.
There has never been a road cyclist who has won the World Championship three times in a row.
Sagan rose from a humble Slovak mountain rider to a road cyclist legend in just a few years.
During races, Peter has done some insanely incredible things.
During a mountain stage, he paused to sign an autograph for a fan.
He also rode back across the finish line.
He was given the opportunity to wear the Young Rider jersey as well as the points jersey during the 2010 Tour of California.
Peter Sagan won three stages of the 2011 Vuelta an Espana, as well as the Slovak National Championship, the Giro de Sardegna, and the Tour de Pologne.
Similarly, Sagan won five stages and the points jersey in the 2012 Tour of California.
He also won four stages of the Tour de Suisse in 2012.
In addition, he won the 2016 European Road Championship, the Tour of Flanders, and the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec.
Sagan returned to dominate and win the Slovak National Championship.
He also won the Paris-Roubaix race that year.
Finally, he won the Gent-Wevelgem. Peter won three stages and the points jersey during the Tour de France.
Sagan did not win a stage of the Tour de France in August 2020, and thus lost the points jersey.
Similarly, he did not fare well in the other races.
Net Worth of Peter Sagan
Those numerous professional designations earned him a fortune.
Peter Sagan’s net worth is believed to be $10 million, owing to his professional cycling career.
He earns 5 million euros per year, ranking him second among the highest-paid cyclists. He is ranked alongside Tajed Pogcar.
Furthermore, he is a 100% official partner of the California-based sunglass company.
The company focuses on motocross and downhill eyewear.
“When I’m not racing, I enjoy spending time on my mountain bike, and I also enjoy downhill racing and motocross.” “100% was a natural choice for me,” Sagan explained.
Peter Sagan’s Wife and Children
Peter Sagan married Katarina Smolková on November 11, 2015, however, the marriage did not last long.
The pair had a new beginning and were in love while living in Monaco.
However, the novelty did not last long as they divorced in 2018.
The divorce was finalized on July 18th, 2018.
In the midst of the Tour de France, the Slovak rider announced his divorce on Facebook.
The two will also remain close as co-parents of their son, Marlon, according to the article.
On October 25, 2017, the beautiful couple was gifted with a son.
We paraphrase Sagan when he says,
“After a lengthy and careful debate, Kate and I have decided that we would be much better off separating as a couple.”
We both think that it is the appropriate decision to continue our lives as wonderful friends.”
Having said that, the World Champion also highlighted the safety and privacy of his children.
“I will not make any additional comments, and I would want to thank everyone in advance for respecting our privacy,” he said.
Despite the separation, Peter maintained a positive attitude during the marathon.
Right after the divorce, he won three stages of the Tour de France and the green jersey.
He also jokingly high-fived Vincenzo Nibali when he signaled for his team car.
Trivia | Peter Sagan
Sagan would frequently leave his kindergarten class to do something more exciting.
Later, the Slovak rider dropped out of high school to pursue a pro-cycling career in Italy.
The Terminator is overly friendly with his coach, Peter Zanicky; they go to the pub together and devise celebratory salutes after a few pints of beer, which Sagan incorporates into his next races.
To inspire the athletes, Peter Zanicky once challenged this student to an arm-wrestling bout.
Sagan was so invested in the race that he went all out to win it.
According to his then-manager, Matej Vysna, Sagan ended up fracturing Zanicky’s arm.
In one of Sagan’s early events, a junior mountain bike race, he injured his knee against the frame and started crying instead of riding his bike.
He was ordered by his coach to buckle up and get back in the race. Later, Peter Sagan won the race.
Sagan avoids walking around his home country of Slovakia because people instantly recognize him and corner him.
He also assisted his sister in opening a salon in Zilina, his hometown.
Sagan stated in July 2021 that he will leave Bora-Hansgrohe at the end of the 2021 season.
He is still a member of the UCI World team Bora-Hansgrohe, but it will be intriguing to see who signs him for the following season.
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