Peter Sagan (Team Total Energy) showed that he is in good shape for Wednesday's Paris-Roubaix cobbled stage by winning the fourth stage of the Tour de France. [The Slovakian finished fifth in Calais after Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin Phoenix) mistakenly thought he had won the stage and celebrated with his hands in the air.

Sagan is always dangerous and is often there when the race explodes.

While Tour de France overall contenders and pure climbers fear that the cobbled Paris-Roubaix stage could ruin their race, it is an opportunity for Sagan and a chance to win one of the most prestigious stages in the race this year.

Sagan has competed in the Tour de France 11 times, winning 12 stage victories and seven green jerseys in his long career. His palmares also include three world titles, the 2016 Tour de Flanders and the 2018 Paris-Roubaix. His victory at Wallers in the Arenberg Porte du Hainaut on Wednesday is arguably his best ever win in July and one of his best ever victories.

His move to Total Energy and his third return from COVID-19 will also prove that the 32-year-old is far from done.

"Riders in the classics like me have more experience on cobblestones than GC riders and climbers, and they have specific skills. That should be an advantage for us. That should be an advantage for us," he told Cycling News.

Sagan's renowned biking skills will give him a big advantage on the cobblestones, but even he is pleased with the forecast for dry, warm weather. Sagan could benefit from a fast, dusty race rather than slipping uncontrollably over the cobblestones if it rains.

"If the weather is nice and dry, that's better for everyone, we did a rainy cobblestone stage in 2014 and that was a disaster," said Lars Boom, who won a rainy and muddy stage in 2014, when Vincenzo Nibali made enough time to take the overall win. He said, recalling the Tour de France, where Lars Boom won a rainy and muddy stage and Vincenzo Nibali made enough time to win overall.

Sagan also rode the cobbles in the 2015 Tour de France, helping then-Tinkoff-Saxo leader Alberto Contador to a third-place finish, and in 2018 he finished fifth, just seconds behind stage winner John Degenkolb.

"I did some runs. I did one with Alberto, and also in 2014 when it rained in Cannondale," he recalled.

"The cobbled stages are different from Paris-Roubaix. We're in the middle of the Tour de France and there's usually still a lot of racing left to do."

"There's also a GC battle that will change the strategies of many teams. It will be a very interesting stage," he added.

"You never know what will happen. That's why we are in the Tour de France."