7 Things You Didn’t Know About Peter Sagan
There's a lot more to the current road world champion than superhuman sprints and enviable hair.
There’s a lot more to the current road world champion than superhuman sprints and enviable hair. – By Jen See
Peter Sagan, the current road world champion and recent winner of the prestigious Tour of Flanders, is well known for his flashy exploits on the bike. However, there’s much more to him than his time in the cycling spotlight. We did some digging—and went straight to Sagan himself—to find seven things you might not know about the world champ.
As a junior and U23 rider, Sagan earned the nickname “The Terminator.” Sagan won plenty of races, sure, but the real reason for the nickname was his tendency to thrash bikes: The young Sagan rode intensely and was famously hard on his bikes and equipment.
Sagan opened a hair salon with Daniela, and when he has time, he still goes to his sister’s salon to get his hair cut. In his early years in the professional ranks, Sagan typically wore his hair short, a style he achieved himself with an electric clipper.
Sagan’s first visit to the United States was in 2010, when he rode the Amgen Tour of California for the first time. “When I was a kid, I was dreaming of coming here to the US,” he says. “It’s very nice; the people are very friendly.”
In 2012 Sagan rode the Tour de France for the first time. In a rare feat, he won the green jersey and three stages. In addition to his prize money from the race, he also received a new Porsche, thanks to a bet with Liquigas-Cannondale team president Paolo Zani.
More than anything, Sagan dreams of winning on the cobbles at Paris-Roubaix, a race he grew up watching on television. “It’s one dream, like the Tour de France,” he says. “Every rider wants to be in the Tour de France. Paris-Roubaix is like the Tour de France for me.” His best result so far in the Hell of the North was coming in sixth in 2014. (He came in 11th in this year’s race.)
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