Cycling: The 2018 cycling season has only just begun. Nevertheless, at the end of January we can already look back on three real highlights. We were enthusiastic about the pros on the road, especially in Australia and Mallorca. With Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe), André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) and John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo), three well-known drivers were able to draw attention to themselves at the beginning of the year. All videos of the highlights mentioned can be found directly under the corresponding links.
Peter Sagan: Great on the road and entertaining in interviews
We've actually known it for a long time: Peter Sagan is just an incredible guy on the bike and off the track. Nevertheless, the world champion always ensures that we are amazed or amused. This is what happened right at the start of the 2018 season. The Slovak won the People's Choice Classic and the pioneering fourth stage of the Tour Down Under. He also worried with his Interview afterwards for laughter when he first wanted to eat something after the race. In short, he still has helped the marshals clean up. Oh yes: one Audience with Pope Francis Peter Sagan had too. He presented the head of the church with a specially painted racing bike and a world champion jersey. Unbelievable, but all of these things were delivered by Peter Sagan in January. Like I said, he's just an incredible guy, this Sagan...
Thank you, everybody, for your warm birthday wishes. It's so nice to see so many of you take a moment from your busy day to wish me well. Your words of support mean a lot to me! (Photo @veloimages) pic.twitter.com/vOVKI76c56
- Peter Sagan (@petosagan) 26 January 2018
André Greipel: The golden frame at the Tour Down Under
André Greipel also provided a real cycling highlight in January. The 35-year-old didn't have a really bad season in 2017, but he didn't win a stage in the Tour de France "the gorilla" then not entirely satisfied. The German must have worked correspondingly hard in the winter, because there were two successes at the Tour Down Under. André Greipel won the first stage and the pioneering sixth stage. He took care of that according to the motto "Oldie but Goldie" for the perfect, golden frame of the Tour Down Under. Incidentally, he has further extended his record in Australia. Those were stage wins #17 and #18. What a strong start to the season. That's how André Greipel will definitely work out again soon with a victory in a Grand Tour ...
Thanks a lot @tourdownunder and spectators for the nice last weeks in #Adelaide It was again a nice experience to compete together with the entire @lotto_soudal team and staff. #happytogethome pic.twitter.com/lGwzH8cKgF
— Andre Greipel (@AndreGreipel) 21 January 2018
John Degenkolb: 100% win rate
While Peter Sagan and André Greipel have each had two successes in Australia, John Degenkolb was still training. But then the 29-year-old also ignited his turbo. After two rather difficult years in cycling, Degenkolb recovered from pneumonia in the winter and went on vacation with his family. This definitely seems to have done him good. He himself also says that he finally feels really fit again - and he proved that to us directly. At the Mallorca Challenge he was used by his sport directors in two races. John Degenkolb denied that Trophy Campos Porreres Felanitx Ses Salines and the pioneering Palma Trophy – and won both. That puts him at a 100 percent win rate. It can go on like this...
Second race, second win - that's a really perfect start into 2018. Again an extraordinary teamwork and I'm happy that I could finalize the hard work done from the whole @TrekSegafredo team. Looking forward to the next tasks but first of all: one week at home.#dege #dgnklb pic.twitter.com/GJZUz5VRG6
— John Degenkolb (@johndegenkolb) 28 January 2018