Cycling: The exclusion of Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe) seems to be a never-ending story. Even after the CAS verdict, the team does not want to forget the incident. On the contrary: Further legal steps are being examined.
The International Sports Court rejected the urgent application
After Peter Sagan abandoned the 2017 Tour de France after the fourth stage , the matter seemed to be settled. However, Team Bora-hansgrohe stood firmly behind their star rider. Immediately following his disqualification, Bora-hansgrohe filed an urgent appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The appeal argued that Peter Sagan had not been allowed to comment on the incident before his disqualification. The CAS has since rejected the appeal. A return for Peter Sagan was never really on the cards anyway. A rider who has already left the Tour de France cannot simply rejoin at a later date. Nevertheless, the appeal makes sense. After all, the team wants to demonstrate its support for Peter Sagan and its absolute disapproval of the decision.
Ralph Denk is considering further legal action
Even with the rejection of their injunction, Team Bora-hansgrohe is still not giving up. If the Tour de France jury thought the matter would be settled after the fifth stage, they were clearly mistaken. Team manager Ralph Denk is considering further legal action even after the CAS rejection: "As soon as we have the written judgment, we will discuss possible next steps with our lawyers." Of course, it's not just about the world champion's reputation and the loyalty between rider and team, but also about money. After all, it's a disaster for the team's sponsors when their best rider is excluded – and unjustly so – from the world's most important race. The Peter Sagan case is therefore entering its next phase. For now, there's no end in sight.
