Sagan (Procycling 2015)
No matter what he did at this year’s Tour de France, Peter Sagan simply couldn’t win a stage. Five times the Tinkoff-Saxo rider was a runner-up, beaten by faster sprinters or lighter climbers. Yet he came out of the race with his fourth green jersey and his popularity at sky-high levels thanks to the flair he demonstrated on the bike and the humour he showed off it. In a fractious Tour, he was much-needed light relief. His versatility is peerless: “I’m a special rider,” he says. But what does he need to do to turn second-place finishes into wins? Writer: Sam Dansie Late in July, Peter Sagan returned to the post-Tour criterium scene for the first time in two years. This wasn’t the money-making whirlwind of 2012, when he rode eight or nine. In fact, he only appeared at three but that was enough to confirm what we all already knew: that the 25-yearold’s popularity had reached new heights. It was captured perfectly at the podium picture from the Aalst criterium the Monday after