The 26-year-old, who rode himself into the race leader’s yellow jersey with his victory on the stage from Saint-Lo to Cherbourg, said the way his competitors were racing was dangerous.
“Now it’s very hard to enjoy the bike in the race because when I did my first Tour de France it was a different race,” said the Tinkoff rider.
“Now in the group everybody is riding like they don’t care about their life – it’s incredible. Last year it was very bad and this year also it’s very bad. But this is the riders’ decision, how they want to ride.
“You never know if tomorrow you can continue the race.”
Sagan pulled no punches and said there was a lack of self-policing in the peloton compared to when he first started racing in the professional ranks six years ago.
“It’s like everybody is riding (as if they) lose the brain,” he fumed. “There are stupid crashes in the group, it’s very dangerous. When it’s wet nobody brakes – for sure you’re going to crash.
“It’s not logical. In the group, before there was respect. When someone did something stupid, everybody throws their (water) bottle on him or beats him with (tyre) pumps.”
Belgian Jasper Stuyven had spent almost the entire 183km stage from Saint-Lo to Cherbourg in the lead but was agonisingly caught in the final kilometre. Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe took second with Spain’s Alejandro Valverde third.
Reigning champion Chris Froome came home safely in 10th but one of his main overall contenders, Alberto Contador, lost 47sec after crashing for the second day in a row.
For Sagan it was his fifth Tour stage victory but first since 2013. His sprint finish was too strong for Alaphilippe, who had gone past Sagan around 300m from home but then could not hold on as the Slovak came storming back past him.
Stage2@tinkoff_team@olegtinkov happiness #nolimits.Leg is okay:)#malliotjaune #malliotvert https://t.co/zt4qCOF7vU… pic.twitter.com/Yu17bkJFOW
— Peter Sagan (@petosagan) July 3, 2016
The heartbreak was worse for Stuyven, who had attacked alongside German Paul Voss, Norway’s Vegard Breen and Cesare Benedetti of Italy right from the start of the stage.
The former world junior champion ditched his breakaway companions 8.5km from the end of the race on a short climb but after more than 182km in front, the Belgian 24-year-old tired badly towards the end.
In winning, Sagan relieved Briton’s Mark Cavendish, who won Saturday’s opening stage, not only of the yellow jersey but also the green points jersey. Stuyven’s only consolation was taking possession of the polkadot king of the mountains jersey.
Alaphilippe is second to Sagan at 8sec with Valverde third at 10sec. Froome is fifth at 14sec, two places ahead of principal rival Nairo Quintana, who is on the same time.
