Peter Sagan will ride Paris-Roubaix in 2014 and seek a third successive green jersey at the Tour de France, while Ivan
Basso will aim for overall victory at the Giro d'Italia, the Cannondale Pro
Cycling team announced on Wednesday following the conclusion of its training
camp in Tuscany.
Sagan previously raced
Paris-Roubaix in his first two professional seasons in 2010 and 2011, but
crashes and mechanical problems meant that he made little impact on the Hell of
the North. The Slovak has grown in maturity since then, however, and his results
in the biggest one-day races have reflected that progress.
Winner
of Gent-Wevelgem in 2013 and
second at Milan-San Remo, E3 Harelbeke and the Tour of Flanders, Sagan will
ride a similar schedule in 2014, but with the additional goal of the Hell of the
North.
"It's a unique race, hard
and unpredictable, and this is why it intrigues me," said Sagan, who
finished second in the junior version of the race in 2008 behind Andrew Fenn.
"I don't feel I can talk about goals or make any predictions. The first time
I raced it as professional in 2010 I didn't arrive in Roubaix, and one year
later I finished the race in the gruppetto far away from the leaders. I think
it’s a race in which it’s important to have experience and luck, as well as to
have a feel for it."
Sagan will begin his season at
the Tour de San Luis in Argentina in January, before tackling the Dubai Tour,
Tour of Oman, GP Camaiore, Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico as he builds
towards the Classics. He will also return to the Tour of California in May
before setting his sights on a third successive points classification win
in France in July.