How good is Sagan and how far can he go?

If you are like me, every year you can’t wait for the cycling season to start at the Tour Down Under. January 17 2010 was no different. I was up in the early hours of the morning to watch the traditional Cancer Council criterium before the TDU started.

Lance Armstrong had returned to racing the previous year and was now back with his new RadioShack squad. Big Tex attacked and was riding just off the front of the peloton when a 19-year-old kid in shocking green Liquigas colours joined him in front. I thought nothing of it. Then a few days later this gremlin finished third on stage 3 of TDU behind Manuel Cardoso and Cadel Evans. Like an idiot I still didn’t take notice until on stage 5 he finished fourth in Willunga. Ok, whatever kid, beginner’s luck. Come Paris-Nice in March, this new professional finishes second on stage 2. This kid has now forced my attention and I started wondering: How long before he starts winning races? All these podium places are probably due to his lack of experience. Surely it will be a while before he starts winning. It wasn’t. All we had to do was wait until the next day. He won ahead of, guess who? Only riders like Joaquin Rodriguez and Alberto Contador who couldn’t come around him. He wasn’t done. He won stage 5 and the points classification at the end of the race. The rest of the season – his first, remember – went like this. One stage in Tour de Romandie, one in Tour of California and a string of second places. He was only 20 then.

Not impressed yet?

Roll on 2011 and the world now knew who this Slovakian who was passed up by Quick Step was. He looked like an old pro. The season went like this: three stages and the overall at Giro di Sardegna, another stage in California for old times’ sake, two stages in Tour de Suisse plus the points jersey for good measure, his national championships, two stages, the overall and points classification in Tour de Pologne, and how many stages in his first Grand Tour I hear you ask? Three, at the Vuelta. Yawn!

2012 is in full swing and in his second race of the season so far – the Tour of Oman – Peter Sagan has already picked up his first win of the year. How good is Sagan really and how far can he go? I guess people like Quick Step will soon find out.