Paolo has a sense of humour..

josame
josame Posts: 1,162
edited February 2014 in Pro race
CN:
Sagan was rumoured to be joining the Alonso project for a salary of 3,3 million euro per season. "I think his manager [Giovanni Lombardi] has gone over the top with his financial requests. If he's got someone to offer him that much I can't understand why he's not signed already. But I spoke with Alonso and he was clear. For that amount we could get three riders; one to stay on his [Sagan's] wheel and two to win the race," Bettini said at the GP Etruschi on Sunday.


http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/bettini ... onsos-team
'Do not compare your bike to others, for always there will be greater and lesser bikes'

Comments

  • rayjay
    rayjay Posts: 1,384
    Or they could just get Cancellara
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    rayjay wrote:
    Or they could just get Cancellara

    Except he signed a 3 year deal to ride/represent Trek ...
  • cyclingspenny
    cyclingspenny Posts: 17
    Every team in the world would like his signature, He can pretty much command whatever price he wants..
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    cyclingspenny wrote:
    Every team in the world would like his signature, He can pretty much command whatever price he wants..

    If you are referencing Sagan, I'd want a 'big' win before paying that money ...

    I think Sagan is 2 years away from a big move, both in terms of mixing it continually with the big boys and maturity on/off the bike ...
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    3 x Tour stages, 2 x green jerseys, Gent-Wevelgem and masses of stage wins, and yet he still needs a big win?

    Tough crowd.
  • Art Vandelay
    Art Vandelay Posts: 1,982
    Totally - there can't be many who could command a bigger pay cheque right now. All this confirms is negotiations are definitely ongoing between Alonso and Sagan's agents.
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    andyp wrote:
    3 x Tour stages, 2 x green jerseys, Gent-Wevelgem and masses of stage wins, and yet he still needs a big win?

    Tough crowd.

    Compare Boonen's palmares at age 24 ...
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Crankbrother wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    3 x Tour stages, 2 x green jerseys, Gent-Wevelgem and masses of stage wins, and yet he still needs a big win?

    Tough crowd.

    Compare Boonen's palmares at age 24 ...


    1st Stage 3 Tour of Belgium
    1st Gent–Wevelgem
    Tour de France 1st Stages 6 & 20
    1st E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
    1st Grote Scheldeprijs
    1st Jersey Overall Tour de Picardie
    1st Jersey Points classification

    ??
    _
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    3 x Tour stages, 2 x green jerseys, Gent-Wevelgem and masses of stage wins, and yet he still needs a big win?

    Tough crowd.

    Compare Boonen's palmares at age 24 ...


    1st Stage 3 Tour of Belgium
    1st Gent–Wevelgem
    Tour de France 1st Stages 6 & 20
    1st E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
    1st Grote Scheldeprijs
    1st Jersey Overall Tour de Picardie
    1st Jersey Points classification

    ??

    He was still 24 when he won the 'hardman' treble of PR/RVV/WC ... Sagan has this year to try and get close ...
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Was born in 1980 wasn't he?

    Think you're splitting hairs a bit. And you're comparing Sagan to the most prolific classics rider of his generation.

    Sagan is easily one of the best riders of his generation and he has time on his side to win a lot for whichever team hires him. I'd be surprised if he wasn't in the top 3 best paid riders in the world.
    _
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Was born in 1980 wasn't he?

    Think you're splitting hairs a bit. And you're comparing Sagan to the most prolific classics rider of his generation.

    Sagan is easily one of the best riders of his generation and he has time on his side to win a lot for whichever team hires him. I'd be surprised if he wasn't in the top 3 best paid riders in the world.

    I agree I'm comparing him against probably the equal best (with Fab) cyclist of the past decade or so ... Sagan will hopefully go on to equally great things ... He just hasn't, yet ...

    Edit: yeh, born October 1980 ... Sagan, January 1990 ...
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Crankbrother wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Was born in 1980 wasn't he?

    Think you're splitting hairs a bit. And you're comparing Sagan to the most prolific classics rider of his generation.

    Sagan is easily one of the best riders of his generation and he has time on his side to win a lot for whichever team hires him. I'd be surprised if he wasn't in the top 3 best paid riders in the world.

    I agree I'm comparing him against probably the equal best (with Fab) cyclist of the past decade or so ... Sagan will hopefully go on to equally great things ... He just hasn't, yet ...

    I suspect Sagan will smash it this year.
    _
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Crankbrother wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Was born in 1980 wasn't he?

    Think you're splitting hairs a bit. And you're comparing Sagan to the most prolific classics rider of his generation.

    Sagan is easily one of the best riders of his generation and he has time on his side to win a lot for whichever team hires him. I'd be surprised if he wasn't in the top 3 best paid riders in the world.

    I agree I'm comparing him against probably the equal best (with Fab) cyclist of the past decade or so ... Sagan will hopefully go on to equally great things ... He just hasn't, yet ...

    I suspect Sagan will smash it this year.

    It's gonna be a good one if he, Fab & Tom stay fit to race for April ... Hopefully we get a big boys battle at MSR too ...

    I'd be happy to see the wins shared between each of the three ...
  • jerry3571
    jerry3571 Posts: 1,532
    Crankbrother wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Was born in 1980 wasn't he?

    Think you're splitting hairs a bit. And you're comparing Sagan to the most prolific classics rider of his generation.

    Sagan is easily one of the best riders of his generation and he has time on his side to win a lot for whichever team hires him. I'd be surprised if he wasn't in the top 3 best paid riders in the world.

    I agree I'm comparing him against probably the equal best (with Fab) cyclist of the past decade or so ... Sagan will hopefully go on to equally great things ... He just hasn't, yet ...

    Edit: yeh, born October 1980 ... Sagan, January 1990 ...

    You forgot Lance Armstrong there! :lol:
    “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”- Albert Einstein

    "You can't ride the Tour de France on mineral water."
    -Jacques Anquetil
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    Lance who ?

    - gone & forgotten...
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    I reckon that Sagan is pretty much as his peak level already. I'm not sure he will make any more improvement from here on.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    RichN95 wrote:
    I reckon that Sagan is pretty much as his peak level already. I'm not sure he will make any more improvement from here on.

    Physically, maybe not. Races like RVV and PR are won with knowledge and experience though and he can still improve on that. I'm not sure he's in the best team to do it though... Does he have an old hand who's ridden a whole clutch of Classics to call on?
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    Isn't that one of the reasons they signed Oscar Gatto and Marco Marcato? Not sure they have enough experience of the business end of a cobbled monument myself.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    andyp wrote:
    Isn't that one of the reasons they signed Oscar Gatto and Marco Marcato? Not sure they have enough experience of the business end of a cobbled monument myself.

    Exactly... Let's have a look at his competitors, Cancellara spent a couple of years with Bartoli and Frank Hoj, Boonen had a brief flurry with Hincapie but then spent his career around Museeuw, Van Petegem and the Quick Step set up which at that time also had Bettini, who learned all he knew from Bartoli and latterly passed it onto Pozatto.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • mike6
    mike6 Posts: 1,199
    disgruntledgoat wrote:
    andyp wrote:
    Isn't that one of the reasons they signed Oscar Gatto and Marco Marcato? Not sure they have enough experience of the business end of a cobbled monument myself.

    Exactly... Let's have a look at his competitors, Cancellara spent a couple of years with Bartoli and Frank Hoj, Boonen had a brief flurry with Hincapie but then spent his career around Museeuw, Van Petegem and the Quick Step set up which at that time also had Bettini, who learned all he knew from Bartoli and latterly passed it onto Pozatto.

    Could this be the season we find out exactly what sort of rider Sagan is? He can probably win the next 5 or 6 Green jerseys in the Tour, If thats what he wants, but will he go on to win lots of stages, or a shed load of big races?

    He is not a specialist climber or sprinter or TTr, so what do you think he will do to make his mark. And no, a few wheelies is not enough for cycling greatness.
  • jerry3571
    jerry3571 Posts: 1,532
    I remember Sagan winning a mountain stage of the Tour of switzerland some years ago but I guess if he's put on muscle mass since then, then this would effect his up hill credentials. Sagan has seemed to not be there at the end of some of the Classics but I remember Gilbert used to fade in the last 15k's of a race and then he moved Teams and voila, he was up there for the wins. I guess it depends on what his targets and sponsor's targets are.
    Below is Sagan doing his thing in the Mountains-

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgGcSXf4x04
    “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”- Albert Einstein

    "You can't ride the Tour de France on mineral water."
    -Jacques Anquetil

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