Peter Sagan: "I want to do it right" on dangerous and crucial Tour de France stage

Having the Tour de France go over the cobbles of northern is not a frequent occurrence, but one that Peter Sagan likes. The leader of TotalEnergies will be gearing up to attack today's stage in search of a win, and is one of the most experienced riders at this terrain.

"Guys like me have more experience and specific qualities for the cobbles than the GC riders and climbers. That should be an advantage for us. I want to do it right. If it's a nice and dry day, it's better for everyone. We did a cobblestone stage in the rain in 2014 and that was a disaster," he said. He's referring to the day where Lars Boom won in the same location in 2014 in the rain, a chaotic day which saw Vincenzo Nibali take on a hefty chunk of time to build on his Tour win. 

Sagan will have total freedom and support this year, and he has talked about the expectations jumping into the day: "...A cobbled stage in the Tour is not the same as Paris-Roubaix. It's different because you're in the middle of the Tour de France and usually there is still a lot ahead. In addition, there is the ranking battle, which changes the strategy of many teams and therefore how everyone heads. That will make it an interesting stage again this time.”

“We'll see… Of course I want to show something in my career. That's why I'm in the Tour de France," he concluded. Sagan has until now given good signs, finishing sixth, fourth and fifth in the three sprint stages so far, and will be looking to add another strong result.