Cannondale rider has learned lessons from last year
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Peter Sagan celebrates his stage win(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Peter Sagan (Cannondale) crossed the line in 20th place(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan leads Michal Kwiatkowski (Omega Pharma-QuickStep)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 2013 San Remo podium (L-R): Peter Sagan, Gerald Ciolek and Fabian Cancellara(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan (Cannondale) says that the pain of missing out at last year’s Milan-San Remo will pay dividends when he makes his bid for this year’s title.
"Last year's experience was an important lesson for me - it showed me how unpredictable and hard this Classic can be. For this reason, there is a long list of contenders. I'll be satisfied at the end of the race if I've done whatever is possible to do my best and win," Sagan told Tuttobiciweb.
Sagan started last year’s race as joint favourite with Fabian Cancellara, but was beaten to the line by surprise victor Gerald Ciolek.
He will again be one of the favourites, but late route changes mean he will have many more challengers for the title. Sprinters such as Mark Cavendish, André Greipel and John Degenkolb will be lining up against the Slovakian. He will also face classics men such as Fabian Cancellara and Philippe Gilbert.
This season, Sagan has taken two victories, one at the Tour of Oman and recently at Tirreno-Adriatico, where he ended the week with as the winner of the points competition. Despite the raft of opponents that he will face at San Remo, Sagan is adamant that his form is where it needs to be and that the course changes haven’t hurt him.
"I have done what I had to do in order to improve my condition, and the results I achieved make me confident," said Sagan. "Milan-San Remo has always been one of the most important goals of my season. I plan to succeed at this race and ready myself for the next - the upcoming Belgium Classics.
“The route without Pompeiana climb makes the race different, but I'm not worried. This change effects everyone. To win Milan-San Remo, you need to first to be at your top condition and try to own the race with your team. That is my goal."
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Sagan will not enjoy the same strength in depth that some teams have given their main men, but he will be supported by the likes of Moreno Moser and Alessandro de Marchi, who comes off the back of a strong performance at Paris-Nice. His team are well aware of the challenge they face this Sunday.
"Milan-San Remo is one of the thorniest races of the season," explained Cannondale directeur sportif Mario Scirea. "The team must be focused for the entire day, and we cannot underestimate any race situations or other contenders. We chose riders who will be able to control the race in the beginning, and the others are ready to support Peter. We have all we need for a bold performance and to chase our dream."
Cannondale team for Milan-San Remo: Moreno Moser, Damiano Caruso, Maciej Bodnar, Alessandro De Marchi, Oscar Gatto, Marco Marcato and Alan Marangoni
