Published December 18, 2013 02:04PM
Sagan to start Paris-Roubaix, Amgen Tour in 2014
Slovak champion will make his third start at the "Hell of the North" and will return to California
Peter Sagan will make a return to Paris-Roubaix after two years away. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | <a id="www.cbgphoto.com" href="http://cbgphoto.com">www.cbgphoto.com</a>
Peter Sagan will make a return to Paris-Roubaix to close his 2014 classics season, and will target a third consecutive points jersey at the Tour de France. Sagan recently completed a Cannondale preseason camp in Tuscany, Italy, and will travel to the United States for a team presentation in early January.
“I’m very happy to have the chance to return to ride the Paris-Roubaix,” Sagan said in a press release. “It’s a unique race, hard and unpredictable, and this is why it intrigues me.”
Sagan will target victories at a slew of classics where he found the podium last season: Milan-Sanremo (second in 2013), E3 Harelbeke (second in 2013), Ronde van Vlaanderen (second in 2013). The Slovak champion will also attempt a repeat of his Gent-Wevelgem victory. For Roubaix, however, he stopped short of proffering a finish position, pointing instead to experienced riders like multiple-time winners Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen as the favorites.
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“I don’t feel I can talk about goals or make any predictions,” said Sagan. “The first time I raced it as professional, in 2010, I didn’t arrive in Roubaix and one year later I finished the race in the grupetto far away from the leaders. I think it’s a race in which it’s important to have experience and luck, as well as to have a feel for it. Riders such as Cancellara and Boonen, for example, are specialists for Roubaix and they have a lot of experience, much more than me. I can only ensure that I’ll give 100 percent to have the best result I can.”
The 23-year-old said he would preview the cobbled sectors prior to the April 13 race.
“I’ll plan time with the team to test the pavè when we’ll be close to the race, because racing Paris-Roubaix takes a different way to race compared to the other races,” he said. “Before Paris-Roubaix I will target important goals and, at the moment, more within my range. For me will be just a new and exciting challenge.”
Sagan’s season will open at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina on Jan. 20. From there, he will continue with the Dubai Tour, Tour of Oman, GP Camaiore, Strade Bianche, and Tirreno-Adriatico. The team confirmed that Sagan would start the Amgen Tour of California.