Thirteen years after his emergence on the international cycling scene with the Liquigas-Doimo team, Peter Sagan, the Slovakian road cycling superstar, has retired from road cycling with a ninth-place finish in the Tour de Vendée. With 121 victories over the course of his impressive career, Sagan has left an indelible mark on the sport.
Sagan's heyday in major competitions came to an end at the end of the 2019 season. At 33, the Slovak has proven to be more than an exceptional cyclist; he has been a showman, a source of amusement and an icon in a sport that sometimes faces challenges.
Before the likes of Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock became cycling's multidisciplinary superstars, Peter Sagan stood out as the pioneer in the art of being cycling's greatest showman. His enigmatic style, bold celebrations and candid attitude to the media catapulted him as one of the most beloved and respected figures in modern cycling. His long hair and charismatic personality transcended the boundaries of the sport and made him a global star.
Looking back at his legacy, the folks at GCN recall five of his unforgettable victories:
- World Championship 2015: In Richmond, Virginia, Sagan became the world champion, shattering the critics around him. His spectacular performance in the race gave him the solo victory, and his effervescent celebration stirred the American audience.
- Tour of Flanders 2016: Sagan proved his versatility by winning one of the most prestigious classics. In a thrilling race, he won the Tour of Flanders and prevented Fabian Cancellara from having his fairytale farewell.
- Tour de France 2016: In a stage plagued by crosswinds, Sagan broke away solo alongside Chris Froome, the yellow jersey. The unusual duo crossed the finish line together, an unforgettable moment in Tour history.
- Paris-Roubaix 2018: Sagan finally conquered "l'enfer du nord" in his final year as world champion. This victory at Paris-Roubaix was the fulfillment of a long-awaited promise.
- Giro d'Italia 2020: In an epic performance, Sagan ventured into a breakaway and won a stage of the Giro d'Italia, demonstrating his exceptional endurance and skills. It was his last major win as a professional
Read also
Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- 18 broken bones. 78 crashes, among 30 rider per year is a lot. so for a rider over 15 seasons, they will break their bones 7-8 times and crash 38 times.abstractengineer04-11-2026
- i dont think he is ready ot win against the top 2 or the 2nd rung of evenepoel, del toro , Almeida. In the third week in the TDF he was very very defensive, no attacks. i think he was exhausted. right now he needs time not the brutal Giro or the intense TDF.abstractengineer04-11-2026
- Rota is an excellent rider to get in a break with because he always does his turnchapmanesque04-11-2026
- That 3000 extra that the Tour de France is built up in the flat stages
Rafionain-Glas04-11-2026 - maybe this is something else they can protest in the streets of France.mij04-11-2026
- his Roubaix win was amazing. not to take anything away from him - arguably one of MVDP's wins was at the expense of a WVA flat - but so many things need to line up to get one of these. He had a perfect race with fewer bike issues on an attritional course. And crazy strong as usual. Glad he got this done.mij04-11-2026
- Orts was a super smart signing with the new rules regarding cross and UCI pointsmij04-11-2026
- yeah... you're right...PogiSloFans04-11-2026
- Podcast sounds great. Two so called experts stating the f*cking obvious.wrsty04-11-2026
- A mindset that reminds me of Tim Declerq. I loved watching that guy just pound away the kilometers, hours at the front, holding an entire breakaway in check on his own. Bjerg seems like a similar guy. Curling, the team sport.RidesHills04-11-2026
Loading
Si, por reconocimiento, el momento de la retirada de un ciclista hay que aplaudirlo en función de la diversión aportada, con Sagan hay que hacerlo hasta que salgan ampollas. Eternamente agradecido Peter 👏👏👏
Write a comment