At Tinkoff-Saxo and Bora–Hansgrohe, you spent years as Peter Sagan’s domestique. What is he like as a leader?
What he says, he means. That’s what makes Peter unique. In road cycling, many leaders aren’t truly leaders – they lack the charisma or the ability to inspire. Some don’t even acknowledge their teammates’ efforts, which makes it hard to build team spirit. But with Peter, you always felt like everyone was pulling their weight because he had this natural ability to motivate positively. He’s the kind of leader every team dreams of. In the Tinkoff team, there were other strong cyclists, like Alberto Contador, who were supposed to lead, but Peter always ended up being the real leader.
What else makes him a star?
I’ve known Peter since childhood, so it was surprising for me to see him become such a global star. He’s a force of nature, and perhaps that’s why he achieved what he did. When Peter started competing, professional cycling was struggling, partly due to doping scandals. Fans were losing their love for the sport. Most cyclists were serious and, frankly, boring – except maybe Armstrong, who had the charisma of a president. Then Peter arrived like a rockstar, a completely new kind of personality. Half the World Tour audience watched just to see what he’d do next or what antics he’d pull. And on top of that, he knew how to win.
How did your connection with Peter begin?
I started professional cycling with Dukla Trenčín in Slovakia, just like Peter. I began earning a salary at 18, and shortly after, when I was about 19 or 20, I joined the Tinkoff-Saxo team. Peter joined about a year later. We already knew each other from amateur cycling during my time at CyS Žilina. Peter is exactly two years older than me, so we never competed in the same age category – he’s a 1990 baby – but we trained together often and even attended the same school. Until I was 16, we trained almost daily and spent a lot of time together.
Do you recall any special moment of gratitude from Peter for your help in a race?
Every time he won – whether it was at Roubaix, Flanders or the World Championships – he made it clear he appreciated what we did for him. But there wasn’t any extraordinary gesture of thanks. It’s hard to explain, but I think it’s because we grew up together and were best friends from childhood. Our paths eventually diverged; he lives in Monaco, and I’m elsewhere. I’m not sure if I should have expected more or less from him.In cycling, there’s always a point where it becomes every man for himself. It’s just how the sport works.
What’s Peter better at than you, and where do you outshine him?
Cycling performance doesn’t need much discussion – his results speak for themselves. But I can say this: in all our training sessions, he never beat me in a sprint. Outside cycling, I had the advantage of better English and being more level-headed. Peter was always a bit of a wild card. I often had to calm things down around him. He’s got a fiery temper and managing that wasn’t always easy.
Did it ever come to blows?
There were situations where it almost did – or where something happened, but it ended quickly. Peter was wild back then, but I must say he’s calmed down a lot over the years.
How painful is professional cycling?
It hurts so much that you don’t even realise it anymore – you get used to the pain. I only truly understood it after I stopped. It took a year for my body to recover fully, and for two or three years after that, I still maintained a high level of fitness without any serious training. Most people can’t even comprehend that.
When did you realise you wanted to leave road cycling?
During time trials, my left leg would go numb after 20 minutes. I couldn’t feel it at all and had no power. To compensate, I had to spend an unreasonable amount of time strengthening my core – about 5-10 hours a week on top of 30 hours on the bike. I was putting in so much effort just to make a living from cycling, and it drained me. That was the first reason.
And the second?
I felt old. I was only 25, but I’d lost my motivation. I kept finishing sprints in third, second, fourth or fifth place. I must’ve finished fourth about 70 times – it felt cursed. As a sprinter, if you can’t convert your efforts into wins, the team starts relegating you to supporting roles. I became the last lead-out man for the final sprinter. For Peter, it was different – he had everything: explosiveness, endurance, and the ability to win. For me, cycling became a job. Even when Peter won, I was happy, but it didn’t fulfil me anymore. It wasn’t my victory.
What did you do then?
I talked with the team. We had an open relationship, and they suggested I could use my English skills and knowledge of racing to manage VIP guests at Bora–Hansgrohe. I looked after groups of 6-14 people, taking them behind the scenes at World Tour races. Financially, it was better – I earned the same salary but worked only 70 days a year. It gave me time to rediscover myself.
And what did you discover?
I realised I wanted to start my own project. Together with my girlfriend, Natalii Šoltesová, we founded OKOEVERYWHERE.
What is OKOEVERYWHERE?
It’s primarily about legalising bike trail construction near Žilina and supporting young riders under one brand. To fund the project, we created a line of cycling apparel.
You’re now an ambassador for Bosch eBike Systems, which develops drive systems for electric bikes. How did a former Tour de France racer transition to e-bikes, which many cyclists see as tools for the lazy or elderly?
It happened naturally. The less time I spent on a road bike, the more I rode mountain bikes. In 2021, I got my first e-bike and fell in love.
Why?
There’s no such thing as a boring day on an e-bike. Uphill, downhill – it’s all fun. It’s not just that it makes pedalling easier; it makes it more exciting. Plus, it’s a huge time saver. Before, if I only had an hour, I wouldn’t bother with my road bike. Now, even an hour is worth it because I can do so much on an e-bike. It’s been a game-changer.
Michael Kolář (32) is a former professional cyclist who rode for Tinkoff Saxo and Bora Hansgrohe, competing in top races like Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris-Roubaix, and Vuelta a España. Raised in Toronto, he spent twelve years in Canada before moving to Slovakia with his mother and stepfather.
Initially drawn to mountain biking, he raced XC Ontario Cup events before transitioning to road cycling with his grandfather in CyS Žilina where he met Peter Sagan. After his parents’ second divorce at fifteen, Kolář lived in a sports dormitory, later moving in with the Sagan family and eventually racing alongside Peter on a professional team.
Post-retirement, he managed VIP guests for Bora-Hansgrohe and now promotes e-cycling as a Bosch eBike Systems ambassador. He founded OKO Trails near Žilina and coaches the OKOEVERYWHERE team, helping riders like Šimon Rus, Slovak national champion, and Simona Kuchyňková, Enduro World Cup gold medallist, achieve success.
