Tinkoff-Saxo are heading into Sunday's Tour of Flanders all-in behind leader Peter Sagan, who the team says is benefiting from continually improving form as the Classics season hits full stride.
Sagan took his first win for Tinkoff-Saxo during the penultimate stage of Tirreno-Adriatico in March, but he has failed to crack a podium since in the traditional build-up to the Classics. He was fourth in the bunch kick at Milan-San Remo, and then he mysteriously dropped from the lead trio of E3Harelbeke in the final kilometres, eventually fading to 30th. Most recently he was 10th at Gent-Wevelgem.
“We really believe in Sagan,” said team director Tristan Hoffman. “I know he has the shape, we’ve seen that, and it has increased steadily over the last weeks. However, he has also lacked a bit of good fortune in some random situations during the last races. I’ve talked to the boys and they’re all ready to support him fully.”
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While conceding that race favourties such as Sagan are just as susceptible to crashes and mechanicals as are any other riders over the 264km race, Hoffman said the “king of the Classics” was normally the kind of race where the top names go toe-to-toe in the finale.
“However, a strong team is crucial in order to arrive at the last 50km fresh before the race explodes on the two times up the Oude-Kwaremont and Paterberg combination and the Koppenberg in between,” he said.
Lining up alongside Sagan for Tinkoff-Saxo will be Matti Breschel, Maciej Bodnar, Matteo Tosatto, Pavel Brutt, Nikolay Trusov and Christopher Juul-Jensen, who returns from a hand injury sustained at Milano-San Remo.
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