Slovakian sensation Peter Sagan, the man billed as the most exciting cyclist on the planet, is building quite an affinity with Australia.
Sagan, 23, made his professional debut on the road at the 2010 Tour Down Under, a year after finishing fourth in the under-23 mountainbike world championship in Canberra.
And the two-time Tour de France green jersey winner didn’t need much convincing when the offer came to top the bill for Saturday’s Noosa Criterium, with the added bonus of some holiday time on the Sunshine Coast.
“My holidays start after the criterium,” said Sagan, who often celebrates victories with a wheelie and makes a habit of engaging with the crowds.
“I want to do well, but as for the win – I don’t know.”
Sagan, nicknamed the Terminator, has crammed plenty of winning into his burgeoning career.
He has already claimed seven stage victories in the Grand Tours and is only the second man, after Belgian Freddy Maertens, to win the green jersey as the Tour de France’s best sprinter at his first two attempts.
“The two green jerseys have changed my life too much,” said Sagan.
“The yellow jersey is very nice but for me the the objective is the green jersey.
“My dream was maybe one time to start in the tour and to win the green jersey.
“It’s very good because I still have more dreams for doing even better.
“But it’s crazy now when I go to Slovakia – a little bit stressful.”
A return to Adelaide for the 2014 Tour Down Under remains a possibility.
Another multiple winner of the Tour de France’s green jersey, Robbie McEwen, will again step out of retirement on Saturday to tackle the Noosa Criterium – an event he has won several times.
The field also includes Jonathan Cantwell and Luke Durbridge.
Sagan’s Cannondale team will also be represented by Sagan’s older brother Juraj and Cameron Wurf.
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