Sagan retires

RichN95.

phreak said:

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.

Also Ryder Hesjedal was runner-up one year. And Jakob Fuglsang was u23 World Champion, beating Nino Schurter into second

No_Ta_Doctor

Bernal has jnr mtb wc medals

tailwindhome

It's my perception that MTB and Cyclo-cross is perceived by parents, rightly or wrongly, as a safer entry for kids into cycling than riding on public roads.

On that basis I could see the numbers starting off road growing with obvious physical talent showing through

m.r.m.

RichN95. said:

phreak said:

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.

Also Ryder Hesjedal was runner-up one year. And Jakob Fuglsang was u23 World Champion, beating Nino Schurter into second

Apropos of nothing, has Jakob Fuglsang's career been disappointing? Sagan left plenty on the table, but is definitely not disappointing. I feel Fuglsang had some solid victories (1 great one - LBL), but has mostly been an also ran otherwise.

bm5

Yes it has been.

takethehighroad

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

If you don't like MTB after doing it in Sheffield then you never will.

I grew up in Sheffield and its absolutely incredible for MTB.

As for Sagan, I always found him a bit meh. Dominated hilly days with sprints at the end and rarely looked like beating the pure sprinters, but that tactic won him 7 Green jersets so...

rick_chasey

takethehighroad said:

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

If you don't like MTB after doing it in Sheffield then you never will.

I grew up in Sheffield and its absolutely incredible for MTB.

As for Sagan, I always found him a bit meh. Dominated hilly days with sprints at the end and rarely looked like beating the pure sprinters, but that tactic won him 7 Green jersets so...

I got the sense with a more tactical approach he’d have won a lot more with the talent.

I wonder why he elicits that kind of meh.

He was the forerunner to the WvA/MvdP type.

ddraver

I think the journos didn't help here.

The time he rode Cav into the barriers there were some of them bordering on "Cav should be lucky to be ridden into the barriers by Saint Sagan".

It made even the biggest fan think, "hmmm, steady on lads..."

RichN95.

ddraver said:

I think the journos didn't help here.

It's remarkable how many of them are still impressed by someone doing a wheelie.

rick_chasey

RichN95. said:

ddraver said:

I think the journos didn't help here.

It's remarkable how many of them are still impressed by someone doing a wheelie.

Didn’t help McEwan.

davidof

takethehighroad said:

As for Sagan, I always found him a bit meh. Dominated hilly days with sprints at the end and rarely looked like beating the pure sprinters, but that tactic won him 7 Green jersets so...

it's a points jersey, not a sprint jersey so I guess that's okay