patrickgm60

That's my answer, but better written. As to GC potential on GTs: The field is so large and strong, it would seem very unlikely, but his combination of endurance, sprints, handling skills, and pack instincts are amazing. While not a GT, his TofC win was a demonstration of this.

Flip Flop Rider

would be cool to see Sagan win the Tour however remote the chances are

Ald1 

Excuse my racing ignorance but is Sagan over an hour behind the leaders. If so how with all his good showings?

Caretaker

Yes, because being 'cool' doesn't count in mountain stages.

MinnMan

Those of you who don't follow the racing scene year round seem to emphasize the TdF and the GC too much. Sagan is truly great (never mind "greatest ever", that's an impossible judgement) and probably the most impressive classics rider out there today. But he'll never win the GC of a grand tour and won't ever try. He's not a superior climber or time trialist. His greatness comes from his undeniable accomplishments both on sprints and in classics. Paris-Roubaix this spring may have been his most dramatic and impressive win ever.

Flip Flop Rider

stage wins are a big deal too, and he has 3

Colnago Mixte

The Tour de France requires that its winner be a decent climber, that's how the organizers set up the race. They could easily set it up in such a way that sprinters are favored, such as eliminating mountaintop finishes, and having the stages end in the flats.

I can't recall a sprinter ever winning the Tour de France. Yes, climbers with an OK sprint, time trialers with an OK sprint, but never a real bona fide sprinter like Cippolini, Robbie McEewn, or Eric Zabel.. And real confirmed sprinters don't climb well, their muscles are just not optimized for climbing. It's possible some could retrain to become OK climbers,but they would lose the top end their sprints, and they would never be as good as a natural climber who has the right type of "slow twitch" muscle fibers.

Maybe some day the tour organizers will set it up so sprinter can win. And Sagan is popular enough that maybe we might see some attempts to do that, it would not be all that difficult to do.

Giacomo 1 

Just watch him ride. He is different than anyone else in the peleton IMHO.

Besides being physically gifted, he is a very smart rider. He is always looking around checking out his position and those around him. He never seems to be just riding along. He knows when to break and when to get on a wheel. He is always loose, the pressure never affects him. And most importantly, he doesn't need anyone to get him over the mountains or a leadout train to help him in the sprint. Team managers must love the fact that he needs so little from the team.

Early on, I wasn't a fan, but he has certainly changed my mind. He is a phenom.

USAZorro

Hardly a Grand Tour, but he did win the Tour of California one year, and it took a big effort on a mountain stage to do it.

He definitely makes my list, though there have been so many incredibly talented riders through the history of the sport - on the track,off the road, on the road, classics riders, sprinters, Grand Tours, etc, that coming up with any definitive list would be daunting.

Colnago Mixte

Probably the most entertaining rider ever, unless I missed Miguel Indurain's excellent Nixon impersonation or Chris Froome's hilarious knock-knock jokes.

There are not many riders like that who can also win races. Bob Roll comes to mind (sorry, Bob).

DiabloScott

Yeah, "greatest ever" is a lot bigger than TdF.

Back to back Worlds - legendary.
Flanders and Roubaix - must haves for "greatest ever"
Multiple classics - impressive
Multiple wins in all the big stage races - padding

If he takes wins in the other 3 monuments, he'd definitely be on the short list of all time greatest.
He could certainly take MSR and probably GDL, LBL would take an extraordinary effort.

Ken Brown

I agree that he is a smart rider, but smart people sometimes do dumb things. He crashed on stage 17 and he should have cycled the downhill conservatively. There was no way he was going to win the stage and he needs to get to Paris to collect the green jersey. I had the same thought about Alaphilipe on that downhill, don't risk a fall. Fuglsang kept up with him so he probably did hold back a bit.

Giacomo 1 

To be fair, there was no film of the Sagan crash, so we don't really know how hard he was going. Besides, even guys that can ride as good as Sagan can make a mistake anytime.

mackgoo

I think he's great, and I really like him. Greatest? I can't see him in that group. For me that reserved for the guys who consistently win the tours.
I'm always cheering for him and when you see him in the break aways in the bunch after the mountains you certainly have to respect him.

one4smoke

Froome consistently wins the tours, but is he a better cyclist than Sagan? His strengths and style certainly fit the format of the tours, but can he win some of the major titles that Sagan has?

I doubt it.

Caretaker

toc?

one4smoke

https://www.procyclingstats.com/ride...&rider2=140869

Homebrew01

Overall time only matters for overall leader...yellow jersey and podium.
Sagan is the green jersey, sprint point leader, and has won several stages.

Many different individual goals in TdF, not just the overall Yellow.

Yellow (Overall)
Polka-Dot (climber)
Green (Sprinter)
White (Best young rider)
Teem overall
Individual stage wins

Caretaker

Apples and oranges.

one4smoke

Apples to apples...

https://www.procyclingstats.com/rankings.php

Caretaker

Snapshot of a fruit basket.

one4smoke

You forgot to attach your selfie...