TotalEnergies hopeful of Peter Sagan bouncing back in 2023 - "His two Covid infections have clearly limited him"

Peter Sagan has had a tough start to his stint at TotalEnergies, however the team's directors are keen on an improvement in 2023. The former World Champion is eyeing traditional goals and reinforces his motivation to perform throughout the season.

"It's still sport, you ride with 200 other riders. you are 2nd, 3rd, 4th or even 5th, some teams take that as a defeat. But if you see it from another angle, you lose by one centimeter, you are 2nd on the podium, but you were still there in the to play for victory," Sagan said in a video shared by TotalEnergies. "In this team, these are things that matter. The directors are very human, they pay attention to the riders and to the sport. It's very different, I had never seen that in my previous trainings."

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A win at the Tour de Suisse and national championships wasn't enough to make the season for the Slovakian, however his Top10 at the World Championships at the end of the year were a motivating sign. The French team has secured wildcards for all World Tour races in 2023 and Sagan will benefit from the best choice of calendar even though he's not in the World Tour anymore.

“We are not disappointed with Peter, but we are disappointed for Peter," team's head of training Benoît Génauzeau told Cyclism'Actu. "His two Covid infections have clearly limited him, it is nothing to say. He has made a lot of effort to find his best level, this which was the case with his victory in the Tour de Suisse and his performances in the Tour de France."

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"But Peter is such a champion that he cannot be fully satisfied with his 2022 season and he will approach 2023 with a lot of desire," he continued. Sagan will start his 2023 campaign at the Vuelta a San Juan however the flat sprints will benefit more the likes of Fabio Jakobsen and Sam Bennett. The cobbled classics will be his first real goals of the season.

"Compared to the champion that he is, we were pleasantly surprised to see someone one of very, very simple. He didn't ask for any special treatment throughout the season, he blended in perfectly with the collective. He's not someone who is nostalgic for the past. It's true that when he intervenes in a briefing, his word necessarily carries weight. It was a real support and he helps the team grow," Génauzeau concluded.

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