Peter Sagan facts for kids
Sagan at the 2022 Tour de France
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| Personal information | |||
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| Full name | Peter Sagan | ||
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| Born | 26 January 1990
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| Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Weight | 78 kg (172 lb; 12 st 4 lb) | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Pierre Baguette Cycling | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | Puncheur Sprinter Classics specialist |
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| Major wins | |||
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Peter Sagan (born 26 January 1990) is a famous Slovak former professional cyclist. He competed in both road bicycle racing and mountain bicycle racing. Peter Sagan had a very successful career as a junior in cyclo-cross and mountain biking. He even won the junior cross-country race at the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships. After this, he switched to road racing. He officially ended his professional cycling career in 2024.
Many people consider Sagan a truly special talent in cycling. He achieved 121 professional wins during his career. His biggest achievements include winning the men's road race World Championships three times in a row from 2015 to 2017. This was a first for any male rider! He also holds the record for winning the Points classification at the Tour de France seven times. He won two of cycling's most important races, called monuments: the Tour of Flanders in 2016 and Paris–Roubaix in 2018. In 2016, he also received the prestigious Vélo d'Or award, which recognizes the best cyclist of the year.
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Early Life and First Rides
Peter Sagan was born in Žilina, a city in Slovakia. He is the youngest of four children, with three older brothers and one sister. His sister helped raise him because his parents spent most of their time running a small grocery shop. His older brother, Juraj Sagan, also became a professional cyclist.
Peter started riding bikes when he was nine years old. He joined a small local club in his hometown called Cyklistický spolok Žilina. When he was younger, Peter rode both mountain bikes and road bikes. He was known for his unique style, often riding in tennis shoes and T-shirts, and only drinking water. One time, he even won a race at the Slovak Cup using a bike he borrowed from his sister! He had accidentally sold his own bike and didn't get a new one in time. He still won, even though the borrowed bike had weak brakes and limited gears.
Starting a Professional Career
Peter Sagan got his first chance to become a professional cyclist with the Dukla Trenčín–Merida team in 2009. This was a Slovak team in the third division of cycling. In 2008, he won the Mountain Bike Junior World Championship. He also finished second in the junior race at the 2008 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships.
Sagan really wanted to continue as a mountain bike rider. However, his management team reached out to several road cycling teams. He tried out for a team called Quick-Step but didn't get a contract. He was so disappointed that he thought about quitting road cycling. But his family encouraged him to try again with the Liquigas team, and this time he succeeded!
Joining Liquigas (2010–2014)
In November 2009, the Liquigas team offered Peter Sagan a contract. He didn't speak Italian or English at the time. The team's doctors and managers were amazed by his physical strength. They said they had never seen a 19-year-old rider so strong. During training, Sagan was so powerful that he broke more mountain bikes than anyone else. This earned him the nickname "Terminator."
First Big Wins in 2010
Liquigas chose Sagan for his first big road race, the 2010 Tour Down Under, when he was just 19. He had a crash but kept riding with stitches in his arm and leg. He later won two stages at 2010 Paris–Nice, a race he wasn't even supposed to be in! He joined the team after a teammate got injured. His first stage win came when he out-sprinted other riders on a climb. His second win was a solo attack, where he rode ahead of the main group to win.
After winning a stage at the 2010 Tour de Romandie, Sagan raced in the 2010 Tour of California. He won two stages there and finished eighth overall. He also won the "young rider" and "sprints" awards. He continued to show his talent in other races that year.
Success in 2011
In 2011, Sagan started his season with strong finishes in Italian races. He then won three stages and the overall title at the Giro di Sardegna. At the 2011 Tour of California, he won another stage and the sprints classification for the second year in a row. In June, he won two stages and the points classification at the 2011 Tour de Suisse. He showed how versatile he was by winning a mountain stage.
Sagan then rode in the 2011 Tour de Pologne to get ready for the 2011 Vuelta a España, which was his first major Grand Tour race. He took the leader's jersey after winning two stages. He also won the points classification. At the Vuelta a España, he won three stages. He even won the final stage in Madrid!
Dominating in 2012
Sagan started 2012 in great shape, winning a stage and the points classification at the 2012 Tour of Oman. He also won a stage at 2012 Tirreno–Adriatico. His strong performances continued in the spring races, with high finishes in important events like 2012 Milan–San Remo (fourth), 2012 Gent–Wevelgem (second), and 2012 Tour of Flanders (fifth).
At the 2012 Tour of California, Sagan had an amazing performance. He won five stages, setting a new record for the most stage wins in that race. He also won the sprints classification. He continued his winning streak at the 2012 Tour de Suisse, where he won four stages and the points classification. He even beat famous time trial specialist Fabian Cancellara in the opening prologue.
Sagan made his mark at the 2012 Tour de France. He won the first stage and then two more stages later in the race. After crossing the finish line on Stage 3, he did a fun "running man" celebration. He finished the Tour with three stage wins and won the green jersey for the points classification. He also won the "most combative" rider award on a tough mountain stage. He even won a Porsche car because he had a bet with his team that he could win two stages and the points classification!
More Victories in 2013
In 2013, Sagan's team changed its name to Cannondale. He started the season by winning two stages at the 2013 Tour of Oman. He then won the Gran Premio Città di Camaiore. He finished second at 2013 Strade Bianche and won two stages at 2013 Tirreno–Adriatico.
Sagan was a favorite to win 2013 Milan–San Remo but finished second. He then won 2013 Gent–Wevelgem, a race shortened by bad weather. He broke away from a group of riders and won alone, doing some wheelies after the finish line! Two days later, he won a stage at the 2013 Three Days of De Panne. He finished second at the 2013 Tour of Flanders. He then won the 2013 Brabantse Pijl. In May, he won two stages at the 2013 Tour of California, securing the sprints classification for the fourth year in a row.
At the 2013 Tour de Suisse, Sagan won two more stages and the points classification. He then won the Slovak National Road Race Championships for the third time. At the 2013 Tour de France, he won Stage 7 and kept the green jersey for the points classification all the way to Paris. He even dyed his beard green to celebrate! He continued to win stages at the 2013 USA Pro Cycling Challenge (four wins) and the 2013 Tour of Alberta (two wins). He also won the 2013 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal. Because of his amazing year, he was named the Athlete of the Year in Slovakia for the first time.
2014 Season Highlights
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In 2014, Sagan continued to show his strength. He finished second in several stages at the Dubai Tour and 2014 Strade Bianche. He won a stage and the points classification at 2014 Tirreno–Adriatico. He then won 2014 E3 Harelbeke and finished third in 2014 Gent–Wevelgem. He also finished sixth at 2014 Paris–Roubaix.
Sagan won a stage and the sprints classification at the 2014 Tour of California for the fifth year in a row. At the 2014 Tour de France, he had seven top-5 stage finishes in a row, but he didn't win a stage. He still managed to win the green jersey for the points classification.
Joining Tinkoff–Saxo (2015–2016)
In August 2014, Peter Sagan and his brother Juraj signed a three-year contract with the Tinkoff–Saxo team.
2015: World Champion!
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Sagan started 2015 with strong finishes at the 2015 Tour of Qatar and 2015 Tirreno–Adriatico, where he won a stage and the points classification. He finished fourth at 2015 Milan–San Remo and 2015 Tour of Flanders.
After a break, Sagan returned at the 2015 Tour of California. He won two stages and, in a very close finish, won the overall general classification by just three seconds! He then won two more stages and the points classification at the 2015 Tour de Suisse. He also won both the Slovak National Time Trial Championships and the Slovak National Road Race Championships in his hometown.
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In the 2015 Tour de France, Sagan had five second-place finishes but no wins. However, he still won the green jersey for the points classification by a large margin. He also won the "most combative" rider award on two stages. Sagan finally broke his Grand Tour stage win drought at the 2015 Vuelta a España, winning a stage. The most exciting part of his 2015 season came in October when he won the road race at the UCI Road World Championships. He attacked near the finish line and won, becoming the World Champion!
2016: Double World Champion and Monument Winner
Sagan started 2016 strong, finishing second at 2016 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and fourth at 2016 Strade Bianche. He finished second overall at 2016 Tirreno–Adriatico and won the points classification. He then won his first race as World Champion at 2016 Gent–Wevelgem. This made him the top-ranked rider in the world.
Sagan continued his success by winning his first "Monument" race, the 2016 Tour of Flanders. He rode alone for the last 14 kilometers to win. A week later, he competed in 2016 Paris–Roubaix, where he famously avoided a crash by bunny hopping over another rider's bike! He won two stages and the sprints classification at the 2016 Tour of California. At the 2016 Tour de Suisse, he won two more stages, setting a new record for stage victories in that race.
In the 2016 Tour de France, Sagan won the second stage and took the yellow jersey as the overall leader for the first time. He won two more stages, including a daring breakaway with Chris Froome. He finished second on the final stage on the Champs-Élysées, securing his green jersey for the points classification. He also won the "most combative" rider award for the entire race.
At the Rio Olympics, Sagan chose to compete in mountain biking instead of the road race. He had a puncture during the race and finished 35th. After the Olympics, he won the 2016 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and the 2016 European Road Championships. In October, Sagan won the road race for the second year in a row in Qatar, becoming a double World Champion! In December, he received the prestigious Vélo d'Or award again.
Moving to Bora–Hansgrohe (2017–2021)
After his previous team disbanded, Sagan signed a new contract with the Bora–Hansgrohe team starting in 2017.
2017: Three-Time World Champion!
Sagan began 2017 with second-place finishes at the 2017 Tour Down Under and 2017 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. He then took his first win of the season at 2017 Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne. This was also the first win for his new team. He won two stages and the points classification at 2017 Tirreno–Adriatico.
At 2017 Milan–San Remo, Sagan made a strong move near the finish but was beaten in a close sprint, finishing second. In the 2017 Tour of Flanders, he crashed after his handlebar got caught on a spectator barrier, ending his chances of winning. At the 2017 Tour de Suisse, Sagan won two more stages and the points classification for the sixth time.
Sagan won the third stage of the 2017 Tour de France. However, after the fourth stage, he was disqualified from the race. This decision was very controversial, and many people, including former riders, disagreed with it. Months later, cycling's governing body officially cleared Sagan of any wrongdoing. After the Tour, Sagan won Stage 1 of the 2017 Tour de Pologne. In September, he achieved his 100th career victory at the 2017 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec. Two weeks later, Sagan won the road race at the UCI Road World Championships for an amazing third year in a row! He became the first male rider ever to win three consecutive world road race titles.
2018: Paris–Roubaix Victory
Sagan started 2018 by winning a race before the 2018 Tour Down Under, and then won a stage in the Tour Down Under itself. He later visited the Vatican and gave a custom race bike to Pope Francis. He finished sixth at 2018 Milan–San Remo and won his third 2018 Gent–Wevelgem, tying a record.
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On April 8, Sagan won 2018 Paris–Roubaix, his second "Monument" victory. He attacked far from the finish line and then beat another rider in a sprint at the Roubaix Velodrome. He finished fourth at the 2018 Amstel Gold Race. In the 2018 Tour de France, Sagan won Stage 2 and wore the green jersey for the rest of the race. He also won Stages 5 and 13. Even after a crash on a descent, he still won the points classification for a record-tying sixth time.
2019–2021: More Green Jerseys and Giro Wins
Sagan's first win of 2019 was a stage at the 2019 Tour Down Under. He had strong finishes in spring races, including fourth at 2019 Milan–San Remo and fifth at 2019 Paris–Roubaix. He won stages at the 2019 Tour of California and the 2019 Tour de Suisse. At the 2019 Tour de France, he won Stage 5 and had eight other top-five finishes. He broke the record by winning his seventh points classification green jersey!
In 2020, Sagan raced in Argentina and France before the racing season was paused. When racing restarted, he had strong finishes at 2020 Milano–Torino and 2020 Milan–San Remo. At the 2020 Tour de France, he didn't win a stage and finished second in the points classification. He later won his only race of the season, a stage at the 2020 Giro d'Italia.
In 2021, Sagan finished fourth at 2021 Milan–San Remo again. Before the 2021 Giro d'Italia, he won stages at the 2021 Volta a Catalunya and the 2021 Tour de Romandie. At the Giro d'Italia, he won a stage for the second year in a row and won the points classification. After winning the Slovak National Road Race Championships for the seventh time, he raced in the 2021 Tour de France but had to leave due to an injury. In September, he won the overall title at the 2021 Okolo Slovenska race in his home country.
Team TotalEnergies (2022–2023)
In August 2021, Sagan signed a two-year contract with the Team TotalEnergies. His brother Juraj and other teammates joined him there. He won his first race for the team at the 2022 Tour de Suisse in June. He later had to leave that race due to illness. The following week, he won his eighth Slovak National Road Race Championships. At the 2022 Tour de France, Sagan didn't get any top-three stage finishes. He finished his season with a seventh-place finish at the 2022 UCI Road World Championships.
On January 27, 2023, Sagan announced that he would retire from road cycling at the end of the 2023 season. He planned to focus on qualifying for the 2024 Summer Olympics in mountain biking. He finished second at the Slovak National Road Race Championships, even after a crash. On October 1, 2023, Sagan officially ended his professional road cycling career with a ninth-place finish at the Tour de Vendée.
Heart Surgery and a Surprise Return (2024)
After retiring from road cycling to focus on mountain biking for the 2024 Olympics, Peter Sagan was diagnosed with a heart condition in February 2024. He had two heart surgeries to fix it. Because he missed the start of the mountain bike season, Sagan made a surprise return to road racing. He joined the Pierre Baguette Cycling team to help him get back in shape. He competed at the 2024 Tour de Hongrie. While he didn't recover enough to enter the Olympics, he was able to finish his racing career in his home country at the 2024 Tour of Slovakia.
Retirement Activities
Nine months after retiring from racing, Peter Sagan joined the Slovakian celebrity dance show Let's Dance in March 2025.
Personal Life
Peter Sagan is Catholic and met Pope Francis in Vatican City in January 2018.
He was married to Katarína Smolková. They married in Slovakia in 2015 and had a son named Marlon in 2017. They announced their separation in 2018.
The asteroid 27896 Tourminator was named after one of Sagan's nicknames, "Tourminator." Another asteroid, 2709 Sagan, was already named after the astronomer Carl Sagan.
Career Achievements
See also
In Spanish: Peter Sagan para niños
