In the tough Pyrenees, he signs an autobiography for a fan while riding uphill, in the time trial he completes the final metres as a wheelie on a bike, and even before the finish he applauds the spectators celebrating him. And in spite of all the casual jokes, Sagan is likely to ride to Paris on Sunday in the green jersey for the seventh time, thereby finally breaking Erik Zabel's record.
"Peter is the most expensive driver in the field and worth every cent. Nobody is as present in the public eye," said his team manager Ralph Denk about the 29-year-old Slovakian. At the Bora bus, the numerous supporters are not waiting for the German Tour contender Emanuel Buchmann, but only for superstar Sagan. Buchmann says: "Peter has the most pressure. He gets the most money, the most is expected of him."
The sprinting all-rounder has developed into a real brand in cycling. Where there's Sagan, there's action. And where there is Sagan, there is success, as his three consecutive world championship titles in Richmond, Doha and Bergen from 2015 to 2017 prove.
In addition to his media presence and his tantalisingly relaxed manner, he also brings something to the sport that has rarely been seen in the peloton in this form: The combination of fascinating sprinting power and great speed on nasty hills. L'Equipe" even calls Sagan "the rock star of the peloton".
The father of a young son has no use for such comparisons. He also dislikes listing his successes. "I would rather be a hundred years old than win a hundred races," he said on the occasion of his anniversary victory. When journalists wait for an annoyed Sagan on the team bus after a second place, he gets out freshly groomed and with a broad grin and captures the stunned reactions of the crowd on a video with his selfie stick.
If you bring top earner Sagan into your racing team, you don't just get a professional cyclist, but an entire team. The boss describes this in his book "My World" as follows: "The crucial point about Team Peter is that it is a small, close-knit group of dedicated people whose common goal is to secure victories for me." Sagan has already won the Paris-Roubaix classics and the Tour of Flanders. At the Tour, he will take his seventh green jersey in eight years: Only a retirement in 2017 interrupted the streak.
In his native Slovakia, the professional cyclist has founded his own academy to promote young talent. However, he has avoided the extreme hype surrounding him and lives in Monaco instead. "When you live next to Lewis Hamilton and Ringo Starr, you're a small fish. That's the Monaco effect," emphasises Sagan, who also finds the best training conditions on the Mediterranean coast.
The fact that the once small Bora racing team from Upper Bavaria managed the transfer coup with Sagan was a surprise at the beginning of 2017. Since then, the combination has worked out perfectly. The most sought-after rider in the world has clearly outlined his future: "I really want to ride for Bora-hansgrohe for the rest of my career. The team is ideal for me and there is no reason to even think about changing."
