To clarify and to give credit where it’s due, the meeting was allegedly arranged by Andrea Calcagni, commercial director of Volkswagen Italia, the car brand which is linked to Specialized, the bike brand and sponsor for Sagan’s Bora-Hansgrohe team and you could say he did an elegant job. Sagan, who’s currently preparing for the Tour Down Under 2018 in Australia, is not only scheduled to meet Pope Francis but will be treated to a private walking tour of the Sistine Chapel, which ceiling is covered by frescoes by the one and only Michelangelo. And like there wasn’t already enough pressure on the three-month-old Marlon Sagan, who already was labelled as a future cycling legend, the traditionally-minded Sagan hopes for Pope Francis himself to baptise his first son. Because, in a typical Sagan-like fashion, he just couldn’t settle for the second best choice of venue and host.
Peter will be accompanied by his wife Katarina, his sister and mother who are all sure to receive the royal (or Papal?) treatment when they arrive to Vatican on 24th January, as the Italian newspaper a Gazzetta dello Sporto informed. In exchange for such an honour, the 27-yeal-old Slovakian rider wants to present the Pope, allegedly and avid cyclist, with a customized Specialized Venge that will reflect white light in the dark (awesome, or what?) and will be covered by unique details, such as logos of the Vatican, the Papal coat of arms and the Argentine flag on the frame together with “Francesco” – the Pope’s name in Italian.
So, you may take this as an inspiration for handling the new year – be like Sagan and don’t be afraid to be a little extra.
