With the rainbow jersey on his shoulders and his billing as the race's brightest star the clamour surrounding Peter Sagan at the Tour Down Under is understandable. The first and only other time he graced the race came in 2010 when as a relatively then unknown neo-pro he served warning of his talent by making the break alongside Lance Armstrong in the opening Criterium, and then again once again escaping on the stage to Willunga Hill.
Since then Sagan has established himself as one of, if not the most, recognisable stars within the sport. So it goes without saying that no matter his form or his ambitions here in Adelaide, his performances will be pored over and analysed more than most.
Before a training ride this week Sagan told Cyclingnews that he hoped his form was below its normal best. It was a half serious quip, maybe, but with Milan-San Remo eight weeks away his desire to remain tranquil is understandable. After all, unlike the homegrown Portes and Gerrans, the Tour Down Under is just a season opener for the Bora man.
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"It's a good race. The stages are hard but not super hard and they're long but not super long," he told Cyclingnews.
Such an indication would imply that Sagan is here to tune up the engine rather than rev it to the max but few would anticipate the two-time world champion merely making up the numbers.
"I want to get in shape, so it's good for that. We'll see day-by-day what I can do in the sprints, maybe some of the technical finishes but we'll see. I believe it's good preparation and we can ride as much as we want. The race isn't super hard or super long so you can get a good balance with your condition."
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