A career lived together. Not just on the roads of the world, pedaling, because when you share a job that is also a passion, Close, almost unexpected connections develop that go beyond and then you share confidences, hopes, illusions, joys alternating with disappointments. peter History he decided to leave professional cycling (not competitive cycling because his Olympic dream brought him back to his roots in mountain biking) and Daniel Oss He's a bit of an orphan. The Trentino man continues, moving forward on his path, carrying with him a wealth of memories.
Their friendship is long-standing: «We met at Liquigas, he arrived in 2010, I had already been there for a year. Then we lost touch when I moved to BMC while he continued in the team that had become Cannondale, but the roads we frequented were the same, at the start there was never a lack of words, then we met again in 2018 and we continued. It's not often that two careers proceed at the same pace as friendship, and that's something that cycling has been able to give us.».
What unites you?
A lot. Let's say we're cycling compatible: We liked the classics first of all, then we had the same ideas on the management of the races, also physically being both quite strong we found ourselves working well together, I could pull him through the sprints, preventing him from catching air, and I could resolve some situations in the group to help him find the most favorable position.
But cycling aside?
We are similar in life too, we have a sprinter mentality. I always say that a sprinter and a climber are very different, not only in competition, but also in their approach to everyday life. Peter and I like the same music, and we agree on many things. Not on everything, we have had our disagreements too, but in a friendship there are…A friend is also someone who, when you need it, confronts you with the stark reality, and we've always done that. But there's more...
What?
We've always tried to play it down. Cycling is important, it's our job, but ultimately it's a race; once it's over, there's another, so we give the right weight to victories and defeats. This doesn't mean we're unprofessional, on the contrary. There was a time for joking and a time for giving it your all, and Peter was always very uncompromising about this., but we tried to face everything with a smile, not for nothing has his motto always been “why so serious?”.
The feeling is that his way of being, perhaps even brash at times, has helped change cycling, which today is profoundly different from when you started out…
His positive philosophy has certainly served its purpose. Previously, there was only talk of heroic cycling, with outdated stereotypes that were no longer so closely connected to current events. We have shown a sign of change. Sagan understood that one could be at the top by giving a different image, on the other hand, he immediately realized that he was a character who made an impact, both aesthetically and with his ways. This contributed to bringing about a turning point, to to show the image of people who not only work hard, but also have fun.
How much did social media contribute to all of this?
Enormously, they were the tool, but he was good at using them properly. People saw the commercials, his TV appearances were never banal, perhaps always with a joke. He's always been a star, but Sagan has also known how to use social media to highlight those around him: sponsors, collaborators, teammates, and even particular events. But then cycling took its own path, different from the one we understand.
In what sense?
Many people connect Sagan to the current generations, but this is not the case. Today, there's maximum concentration, enormous pressure; that disenchantment has been somewhat lost in today's champions, who are almost mechanical in their actions. It's a methodical approach taken to the extreme, to the detriment of the playfulness that was beneficial to this sport. Perhaps pogacar with his light-heartedness in approaching every race, perhaps even with the aim of always winning, he is the one closest to his and our way of being.
However, one wonders whether these last years of his, especially the period at TotalEnegies, he lived them with the awareness of a slow competitive decline…
We all know that sooner or later this beautiful period will come to an end, but it's always the same. Sagan was on the crest of the wave for at least a dozen years, today's champions, the Van Aert e Van der Poel he beat them. It is through him that cycling experienced a generational change. It's a natural progression, which causes the body to no longer provide the same responses as before but also to a lack of motivation. Peter never backed down, he never stopped honoring the contracts he signed, his commitment was always maximum., but it certainly could no longer guarantee the same results as before.
It's quite shocking to see that in his last race, the Tour de Vendée, he outsprinted Dujardin…
I see something romantic in it, it's a beautiful image. Sagan has always gone out of his way for others, his gesture is a bit of a passing of the baton to the new generations, but it's part of his being. I will never forget the 2018 World Cup, when he appeared on stage in front of Valverde who had won to shake his hand: «I'll lend it to you – referring to the shirt – remember that I want it back». He's always a character, who also knows how to give himself to peopleI don't remember a place we've been, in the entire world, where someone hasn't come for an autograph, a selfie, a simple hello, and he never says no.
Is yours a friendship that goes beyond cycling?
Of course, I know all his brothers, his family. We live very far away, he divides his time between Monte Carlo and Zilina, his city.Then honestly, when you share an entire season, the same roads, the same hotel rooms, when you take a break you want to be with your family. Now maybe we'll have the chance to see each other off the road, maybe share a few holidays with our families. Our friendship will remain outside of cycling and maybe we won't even talk about it anymore.
