Peter Sagan: ‘Being the pope is much harder than being a cyclist’

18 April 2018 10:50
His dramatic victory in the Paris-Roubaix has elevated the Slovakian to the pinnacle of his sport but his humble roots and carefree attitude seem certain to keep cycling’s new hero grounded“I was thoroughly fucked but I tried to enjoy it afterwards,” Peter Sagan says with a grin as he explains how he felt after winning the Paris-Roubaix classic this month. “When I was younger, it was always my dream to win Paris-Roubaix. I didn’t think about the World Championships and [the Tour of] Flanders.”Sagan is the most popular rider in cycling today and, with the murky uncertainty surrounding Chris Froome and Team Sky, his victory felt like a shaft of light which revealed panache and grit. They call Paris-Roubaix the ‘Hell of the North’, because its 29 cobbled sections have a bone-juddering impact on even the toughest and most brilliant riders. It is also the glittering peak among the five monuments which are cycling’s oldest and most prestigious one-day races.Twice I didn’t finish Roubaix and in those races I did finish I was in much worse condition than this yearIf you ask me how could I help cycling I would say by being myself. I want to make people enjoy life – because so many people have a hard time Continue readingread full article

Source: TheGuardian