Ralph Denk, Bora-Hansgrohe team manager, won’t forget Peter Sagan’s third consecutive world championship victory in a hurry.
In fact, he has a permanent reminder of the Slovakian rider’s unique hat-trick after losing a bet with the team’s star rider.
Former pro cyclist Denk had bet Sagan that he couldn’t follow up his victories in Richmond, Virginia and Doha, Qatar with an unprecedented third win on the spin in Bergen, Norway, in September.
His forfeit if he lost? To get a tattoo with Sagan’s brand logo.
After the live TV feed disappeared in the closing kilometres of the race, leaving only the finish line camera working, it was Sagan who powered through to outsprint Norway’s Alexander Kristoff to secure his historic treble.
At Bora-Hansgrohe’s team presentation this week in Schiltach, Germany, Sagan was asked whether instead of answering the usual questions put to him, he might have a question of his own for someone else on the stage.
Sagan, in on the joke, asked whether rumours that the team manager now sported a tattoo were true – leading to Denk lifting his trouser leg to reveal the Peter Sagan logo in all its inky glory.
Sagan also spoke about the effect on him of becoming a father.
"Becoming a father is a natural and important part of a man's life and there is no doubt that the birth of Marlon was one of the happiest moments in my life,” he said.
“Both, Kate and him are doing great and I'm sure I will cherish every moment I spend with them,” he added.
Former British champion Peter Kennaugh, who has moved to Bora-Hangrohe from Team Sky, also spoke at the presentation.
He said: “My decision to change team was not only based on the aspect to get more freedom. After spending several years at Team Sky, I felt it was time to change scenery, work with new people, finding new inspiration.
“But for sure it is also great being able to target races like the Dauphiné, where I am normally in good shape."
The Manxman, who won the queen stage of this year's edition of the French race on the Alpe d'Huez, added: "Besides that, Paris-Nice, or the Ardennes are races I want to perform well in.”
I think we should raise the question and promote awareness of the irrefutable link between working at Green Oil and being a total, rampant bellend...
It's difficult to try and have the moral high ground when your choices are Chinese produced product sold by China vs Chinese produced product sold...
Enjoyed the humour in your write up. Stunning paint job too. Loved the glasses will provide" "a better view in the peloton." Cheers!
Glad to see the BBC is still doing a bang-up job of alienating left and right in equal measure. Keep up the good work, Auntie.
I don't think that entirely fair. A whole new range of gearing options and an entirely new model that shares virtually nothing with the others....
I didn't realise X / Twitter still had 37 users!
You put a (not really a) hashtag on it - that automatically qualifies it as a rant.
In what?
Turns out they prefer video evidence to prove beyond doubt a car is parked on zig zag lines; a still won't do...
Mix of good and not so there. Overtaking stuff all sounds sensible (if people remember...), not sure on the compulsory PPE....