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It has been some time since Peter Sagan has taken a race win, however this weekend, he cinched what would be the last street race victory in his illustrious profession. With retirement from the street looming simply weeks away, Sagan took the win in a 44-kilometer derny race in Belgium.
By no means hear of a ‘derny’ race? It’s not one thing we see usually within the U.S., however it’s nonetheless a well-liked fashion of racing in some components of Europe. Image a keirin race on the observe—the place riders are led by a motorcycle—however executed on the street. Within the case of the race in Gent that Sagan gained this weekend, it was a criterium led by a derny motorcycle. The race itself isn’t overly noteworthy—it was the third 44-kilometer race of the day and part of the Wetteren Derny Festival—however the 10,000 followers who confirmed as much as cheer riders on made it really feel like the ultimate stage of the Tour de France.
In October, the Tour de Vendée can be Sagan’s last street race of his professional profession, which implies any race he enters between at times are final possibilities to go away the game with a pair extra wins.
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However lest you assume Sagan is leaving biking behind, don’t fear. He’s merely switching to the mountain bike. He’s teased followers by dabbling in XC MTB racing in the previous couple of years, flatting early on within the 2016 Olympic MTB race earlier than happening to complete thirty fifth, and most just lately coming 63rd at cross-country World Championships.
However regardless of no main MTB outcomes lately—although his junior palmares are spectacular and embrace a World Championship title—the large groups are nonetheless serious about bringing the multi-time street World Champion into the fold, betting on him to have the ability to shortly stand up to hurry as soon as he can focus his efforts on off-road. He’ll join the Specialised Mountain Bike manufacturing unit workforce after retiring from TotalEnergies.
He’s expressed curiosity in heading to the Paris Olympics in 2024 for mountain biking, telling reporters that whereas he doesn’t remorse his street profession, mountain biking was his past love. But it surely’s nonetheless TBD whether or not or not he’ll be capable of get sufficient UCI factors and race outcomes on the mountain bike to qualify Slovakia for a spot within the Olympics, so he’s dealing with a tricky battle earlier than the race itself.
Molly writes about biking, diet and coaching, with an emphasis on girls in sport. Her new middle-grade sequence, Shred Women, debuts with Rodale Youngsters/Random Home in 2019 with “Lindsay’s Joyride.” Her different books embrace “Mud, Snow and Cyclocross,” “Saddle, Sore” and “Gasoline Your Experience.” Her work has been printed in magazines like Bicycling, Outdoors and Nylon. She co-hosts The Consummate Athlete Podcast.
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