"There was always some mystique around him" - Oliver Naesen reflects on Peter Sagan's legendary road career
Cycling
Although he continues in 2024 on a mountain bike, Peter Sagan has called time on his legendary road career. Oliver Naesen was a rival of the Slovakian during his time in the peloton and has recently reflected on Sagan's career.
"He wasn't a screamer," says the longtime servant of the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team in conversation with Cycling Weekly, describing the Slovakian as having 'silent class'. "Even though he had the funky hair and you know, the ski goggles and the podiums and all that. I think that was just like, a way of expressing himself. In the bunch, he was almost always silent. Just you know, only chatting to those guys close to him. He was actually quite discreet."
Although both Sagan and Naesen are close in age, the Belgian admits he always looked up to the Slovakian throughout his career. "He was one of those idols you look up to on TV," Naesen says. "There was always some mystique around him, you know. I never really knew what was going on in his head. That's what I always felt."
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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