Sagan retires

2

Comments

  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,165
    He got those while Cavendish was sprinting too.
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 13,232
    And he put Cav into the barriers... 2017?
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,475
    tailwindhome said:

    Also on the cv are 12 TDF stage wins.

    More than any active rider (apart from Cavendish) and in the top 20

    12 is a decent club to be in




    Pogacar will get more (which is kinda crazy).
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,475
    edited January 2023
    davidof said:

    Would anyone trade a World Championship victory for another monument?

    I'd keep 1 WC and trade the other 2 for 2x Paris-Roubaix.

    If he'd have had 3 different ones instead of 2, I'd trade 2 WC's for the remaining monuments to have all 5.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    I never warmed to him as I always had the nagging suspicion that he’d have binned off road riding the second he could if it wasn’t the only part of cycling with big money.
    _
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,475
    Maybe MTB is the best, since (so many) riders who are elite at all types of bike riding (Mvdp, Pidcock) all chose MTB over every other form when asked what their favourite is.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Pfft. I really don’t like it. Doing it or watching.
    _
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,553
    m.r.m. said:

    Maybe MTB is the best, since (so many) riders who are elite at all types of bike riding (Mvdp, Pidcock) all chose MTB over every other form when asked what their favourite is.

    Depends what you mean by elite, but that's three out of how many, fifty? Doesn't seem conclusive to me.
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,927
    rick_chasey said:

    Pfft. I really don’t like it. Doing it or watching.

    Is this because you grew up somewhere flat?
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    TheBigBean said:

    rick_chasey said:

    Pfft. I really don’t like it. Doing it or watching.

    Is this because you grew up somewhere flat?
    I studied in Sheffield and did a bit in the Peak District, so I don’t think it’s that.

    I don’t like being muddy and I found it very slow
    _
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    Maybe pro road cycling doesn't suit his character. In MTB it seems more of an individual thing both on and off the bike.

    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    DeVlaeminck said:

    Maybe pro road cycling doesn't suit his character. In MTB it seems more of an individual thing both on and off the bike.

    I got the main impression he found it boring.

    Which I guess it is, especially if you’re are quite shy and not so extroverted which I think he is tbh.

    All that stuff early in his career seems a kind front for a shy guy shoved into the limelight.
    _
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 21,927
    edited January 2023
    rick_chasey said:

    TheBigBean said:

    rick_chasey said:

    Pfft. I really don’t like it. Doing it or watching.

    Is this because you grew up somewhere flat?
    I studied in Sheffield and did a bit in the Peak District, so I don’t think it’s that.

    I don’t like being muddy and I found it very slow
    It very much depends on the terrain and the weather. For example I didn't like the sand in the north downs, but a summmer evening on the chalk of the south downs is hard to beat especially when compared to most roads in the south east.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,436
    I wonder how his CV would look had he been part of this current crop of star riders.

    There seems to be a '@#%^ it, let's race' attitude which would have suited him

    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    Watching MTB is less exciting than digging the allotment
    left the forum March 2023
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    rick_chasey said:

    DeVlaeminck said:

    Maybe pro road cycling doesn't suit his character. In MTB it seems more of an individual thing both on and off the bike.

    I got the main impression he found it boring.

    Which I guess it is, especially if you’re are quite shy and not so extroverted which I think he is tbh.

    All that stuff early in his career seems a kind front for a shy guy shoved into the limelight.
    I thought road cycling has traditionally attracted introverted loners. The Pippa York, Graham Obree types who enjoy the long hours of solitude out in nature aspect of the sport.
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,438
    Is Sagan actually that good at MTB? He looked pretty poor at Rio IIRC, flatting when he slammed his back wheel into a rock step.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,436
    r0bh said:

    Is Sagan actually that good at MTB? He looked pretty poor at Rio IIRC, flatting when he slammed his back wheel into a rock step.

    He was a world champion as a junior




    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,313
    phreak said:

    rick_chasey said:

    DeVlaeminck said:

    Maybe pro road cycling doesn't suit his character. In MTB it seems more of an individual thing both on and off the bike.

    I got the main impression he found it boring.

    Which I guess it is, especially if you’re are quite shy and not so extroverted which I think he is tbh.

    All that stuff early in his career seems a kind front for a shy guy shoved into the limelight.
    I thought road cycling has traditionally attracted introverted loners. The Pippa York, Graham Obree types who enjoy the long hours of solitude out in nature aspect of the sport.
    Obree was a domestic tester and a track bod, never made it to PRO cycling

    left the forum March 2023
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    phreak said:

    rick_chasey said:

    DeVlaeminck said:

    Maybe pro road cycling doesn't suit his character. In MTB it seems more of an individual thing both on and off the bike.

    I got the main impression he found it boring.

    Which I guess it is, especially if you’re are quite shy and not so extroverted which I think he is tbh.

    All that stuff early in his career seems a kind front for a shy guy shoved into the limelight.
    I thought road cycling has traditionally attracted introverted loners. The Pippa York, Graham Obree types who enjoy the long hours of solitude out in nature aspect of the sport.
    I guess I meant more if you’re short on attention span, if you’re social that side can get you through the boring parts of a race.
    _
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    ugo.santalucia said:

    phreak said:

    rick_chasey said:

    DeVlaeminck said:

    Maybe pro road cycling doesn't suit his character. In MTB it seems more of an individual thing both on and off the bike.

    I got the main impression he found it boring.

    Which I guess it is, especially if you’re are quite shy and not so extroverted which I think he is tbh.

    All that stuff early in his career seems a kind front for a shy guy shoved into the limelight.
    I thought road cycling has traditionally attracted introverted loners. The Pippa York, Graham Obree types who enjoy the long hours of solitude out in nature aspect of the sport.
    Obree was a domestic tester and a track bod, never made it to PRO cycling

    He did briefly I think - forget which team it was or how many races he actually took part in.

    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 13,232
    DeVlaeminck said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    phreak said:

    rick_chasey said:

    DeVlaeminck said:

    Maybe pro road cycling doesn't suit his character. In MTB it seems more of an individual thing both on and off the bike.

    I got the main impression he found it boring.

    Which I guess it is, especially if you’re are quite shy and not so extroverted which I think he is tbh.

    All that stuff early in his career seems a kind front for a shy guy shoved into the limelight.
    I thought road cycling has traditionally attracted introverted loners. The Pippa York, Graham Obree types who enjoy the long hours of solitude out in nature aspect of the sport.
    Obree was a domestic tester and a track bod, never made it to PRO cycling

    He did briefly I think - forget which team it was or how many races he actually took part in.

    It was Le Groupement, a well dodgy pro team that lasted... about 6 months. Obree never raced for them, got fired.

    (Wikipedia is one's friend 😉)
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,655
    DeVlaeminck said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    phreak said:

    rick_chasey said:

    DeVlaeminck said:

    Maybe pro road cycling doesn't suit his character. In MTB it seems more of an individual thing both on and off the bike.

    I got the main impression he found it boring.

    Which I guess it is, especially if you’re are quite shy and not so extroverted which I think he is tbh.

    All that stuff early in his career seems a kind front for a shy guy shoved into the limelight.
    I thought road cycling has traditionally attracted introverted loners. The Pippa York, Graham Obree types who enjoy the long hours of solitude out in nature aspect of the sport.
    Obree was a domestic tester and a track bod, never made it to PRO cycling

    He did briefly I think - forget which team it was or how many races he actually took part in.

    Le Groupenment - though he never actually rode for them, he was fired for not turning up for a meeting shortly after the death of his brother.

    That was from Wikipedia btw, I don't have that sort of knowledge just lying around in my brain somewhere :-D
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • m.r.m.
    m.r.m. Posts: 3,475
    edited January 2023
    andyp said:

    m.r.m. said:

    Maybe MTB is the best, since (so many) riders who are elite at all types of bike riding (Mvdp, Pidcock) all chose MTB over every other form when asked what their favourite is.

    Depends what you mean by elite, but that's three out of how many, fifty? Doesn't seem conclusive to me.
    Which fifty? There aren't many who are elite at CX, road, MTB etc.
    Reason to take their opinion on it is, they are great at all of it, so lack of ability making you like something less doesn't come into the equation. Usually people like things more they are good at and they become good at things they like etc.

    The opinion of those who are great at all types of riding should be more valid than those who for example only ride the road and then have an opinion about CX or MTB.

    I don't have a horse in this race. I only have proper experience on the road and don't enjoy being muddy on the bike either (like Rick) (don't mind it in football), but it does seem somewhat telling that both Pidcock and MvdP choose MTB specifically. I'll grant you though that it's a tiny sample size.
    PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 2023
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,104
    How do you measure what is best?

    I can see how the way pro road cycling works may not be for everyone - read Wegelius' autobiography and you wonder why anyone would stay in the sport other than for money. I'm not into pro XC MTB but it seems like it may be a bit more individualistic, a bit less regimented which is maybe the appeal especially to characters like Sagan.

    As an amateur rider and as a fan I much prefer road but it's a different thing when you are making a career of it - it's not just the riding the bike there's a lot more that goes with it.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,823
    I think that for some (many?) riders that transition from mtb to road do so because at least in part the money available for a pro road rider is likely to be a lot more than if they stayed as an mtb rider. Few mtb riders can earn what a decent road contract could net them?
  • monkimark
    monkimark Posts: 1,928
    I find the difference between road cycling and mtb similar to the difference between formula one and rally driving. Formula 1 is obviously way faster but I get no impression of the speed.
    Same for actually riding - i can be doing 30mph on the road and barely paying attention, off road obstacles seem to be flying at me when I'm doing 15mph.
    rick_chasey said:

    TheBigBean said:

    rick_chasey said:

    Pfft. I really don’t like it. Doing it or watching.

    Is this because you grew up somewhere flat?
    I studied in Sheffield and did a bit in the Peak District, so I don’t think it’s that.

    I don’t like being muddy and I found it very slow
  • Wheelspinner
    Wheelspinner Posts: 6,698
    An MTB'er has already won the Tour de France. Dual XC World Cup champion, one Cadel Evans.

    Open One+ BMC TE29 Seven 622SL On One Scandal Cervelo RS
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    andyrr said:

    I think that for some (many?) riders that transition from mtb to road do so because at least in part the money available for a pro road rider is likely to be a lot more than if they stayed as an mtb rider. Few mtb riders can earn what a decent road contract could net them?

    Totally.
    _
  • phreak
    phreak Posts: 2,953
    Wheelspinner said:

    An MTB'er has already won the Tour de France. Dual XC World Cup champion, one Cadel Evans.

    Rasmussen was a World MTB champion as well. He didn't actually move across to road until he was nearly 30.

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