Cycling: The reigning road world champion Peter Sagan (still: Tinkoff) is switching to the German racing team Bora-Argon 18 for the coming season, which will start in 2017 under the name BORA – hansgrohe. The transfer coup is probably the last and perhaps a decisive step on the way to the WorldTour for the current second division player.
A few weeks ago there were already rumors that the reigning road world champion and probably one of the best racing drivers of our time, Peter Sagan, was about to switch to the German team Bora - Argon 18, which will be called BORA - hansgrohe from next season with a new sponsor. The official confirmation of the really sensational change followed this morning. Sagan does not come to Ralph Denk's team alone, however, bringing Maciej Bodnar, Michael Kolar and Erik Baska from the outgoing Team Tinkoff alongside his brother Juraj Sagan. He signs a three-year contract.
“It is a great honor for us to welcome the currently most well-known cyclist in the world to our team. That's why we tried to offer him a familiar environment as much as possible. I think that Peter's confidence in us is proof that we have worked solidly over the past few years and have a good reputation as a team. With BORA and hansgrohe, we have two major German brands as partners who, like us, stand for quality. Ultimately, this combination convinced Peter that we as a team offer the right platform for him to be successful together in the years to come. I am very happy and am convinced that we will achieve great success together." comments team boss Denk on the obligation.
But Sagan should only be one of several planned top commitments. Last week, English media also brought into play the Noch-Tinkoff pro and winner of the 2016 Tour mountains classification, Rafal Majka, as well as Tony Martin (currently Etixx – Quick-Step). Even though Denk didn't want to comment on any other names, he made it clear that there was still a lot to come for the fans: "My goal is to start a balanced team for 2017. Of course, the classics with Peter are now our focus. However, we also want to play a role in the Grand Tours and that is why we will continue to look at the driver market.”
With the move from Peter Sagan to the team headquartered in Raubling in Upper Bavaria, the supplier change to Specialized is also within reach: There have also been increasing rumors about this lately. Among other things, the close relationship between the US manufacturer and the Slovakian top star speaks for this and the disappearance of the name of Argon 18 from the team name could also indicate a change in this regard.
road cycling: Specialized from 2017 supplier of BORA – hansgrohe
Cycling: A few minutes ago, Specialized announced that it would be equipping the German professional team BORA – hansgrohe with bikes, helmets, shoes, tires and Roval wheels from 2017. This news comes just a few hours after the Upper Bavarian racing team announced that Peter Sagan had signed up. Specialized is replacing the current outfitter Argon 18. Full throttle at BORA – hansgrohe! […]
A rise of the German racing team in the WorldTour should therefore only be a formality - cycling fans in this country can look forward to a second German top team in time for the Grand Départ 2017 in Düsseldorf.