Sagan Inks Three-year Deal with Bora-Hansgrohe

Sagan Inks Three-year Deal with Bora-Hansgrohe

Bratislava/Berlin, August 1 (TASR) – Slovak star cyclist Peter Sagan has signed a three-year contract on joining German team Bora-Hansgrohe as of 2017, TASR learnt on Monday.

Apart from Sagan, 26, Bora-Hansgrohe has also hired his brother Juraj and another two Slovaks – Erik Baska and Michael Kolar – as well as Maciej Bodnar (Poland), who all currently race for Tinkoff.

“It’s a great honour to welcome one of the most popular cyclists of our time to our team,” team manager Ralph Denk stated in a press release.

“I think Peter’s trust in us proves that we did a good job in recent years and have solid reputation in the peloton. Our partners Bora and Hansgrohe are also two big German quality brands. This combination convinced Peter that we are the right team for him and his chase for even more success in the years ahead. I’m very happy and sure that this partnership will be a successful one,” said Denk.

The ambitious German team believes that Sagan, who recently secured his fifth consecutive green jersey at Tour de France, will help it to gain the status of a WorldTour team later this year.

Sagan announced the joining of Bora-Hansgrohe on his Facebook account on Monday afternoon. “It’s with great pleasure that I can officially announce I’ll join BORA-Hansgrohe in 2017, on a three-year deal. I’d like to thank the team management as well as title sponsors, BORA and Hansgrohe, for the trust they have shown in me and for stepping up their involvement in the sport of cycling. A move to the top-tier WorldTour and the setting of ambitious goals are our major endeavours and I feel confident BORA-Hansgrohe is the right team for me to build upon the successes I achieved with Tinkoff in the past two years.”

“We share the same philosophy and determination, and I think all the ingredients are in place for a successful future. A number of my trusted friends and teammates from Tinkoff will join me in BORA-Hansgrohe – further ensuring that a strong team is built around me. However, the 2016 season is far from over and I am still wearing the Tinkoff colours, which I will try to honour during the next races I take part in. I’d like to thank Oleg Tinkov for his support and the opportunity he gave me to be part of one of the world’s best professional cycling teams. Even if he leaves cycling at the end of 2016, his legacy will live on,” added Sagan.

Tinkov, who has announced shutting down his team at the end of this year, recently said that Sagan should earn €6 million per year in his new team, which would make him the world’s best-paid cyclist. Bora-Hansgrohe didn’t reveal any financial details of Sagan’s contract, however.