It seems to be a difficult time for Cannondale Procycling as they are forced to withstand endless flow of rumours referring to the yet uncertain future of their incomparable star Peter Sagan from one side, and a wave of criticism blaming Italian outfit for their inability to provide the Slovak with a proper support in the major cycling events from the other.

Despite his only 24 years of age, brilliant Slovakian rider certainly has everything to excel in the major cobbled classics and even though his readiness to do so has been recently questioned after his below-par performance in the Milano-Sanremo, the pressure remains enormous.

It is impossible to imagine the group of riders going clear in which the Slovak wouldn’t be a main favorite to win a final sprint, but Sagan admits that a strong team still can be a decisive factor and on this ground Cannondale cannot match Omega Pharma-Quick Step.

“Team Omega [Pharma] has something over the others,” Sagan told Cycling Weekly yesterday.

“It’s a Belgian team, its riders are always here and in training camps on the roads. They know the roads even if the others also specialise in the [cobbled classics].”

It can’t be surprising that the Belgian team beats other WorldTour outfits in terms of both pure strength and tactical approach, as not so long time ago Omega Pharma-Quick Step was know for enjoying the longest season-break after putting all bets on merely four weeks of intensive – and usually very successful -  racing on cobbles every spring.

Over the years, Omega Pharma-Quick Step have won three Ronde van Vlaanderen and four Paris-Roubaix titles with Tom Boonen, not to mention their work for Johan Museeuw, Stijn Devolder and multiple smaller successes with other riders.

The Belgian team proved their dominance from the very beginning of this years cobbled season, as they have won the Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne with Tom Boonen after being able to put five of their men into ten-riders breakaway, what was followed by a victory in Dwars door Vlaanderen and runner-up spot in E3 Harelbeke obtained by Niki Terpstra.

In Harelbeke, however, Omega Pharma-Quick Step were unable to benefit from their strength in numbers and the duo of Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh couldn’t prevent Sagan from taking the spoils in the hilly event.

The former rider in the Belgian team, Luca Paolini (Katusha), confirmed that even though any other squad, obviously including Cannondale, is not able to match the combined strength of Omega Pharma-Quick Step riders, Sagan himself is the most important factor able to make the difference.

“Cannondale is a step below, but Sagan makes up for it,” Luca Paolini, Italian journeyman and former rider in the Belgian team, told Cycling Weekly.

“Omega, given it’s a Belgian team, they know all the details of the route, they are very adapted to the roads. Of eight riders, all of them are 100% suited to this race. Maybe Cannondale only has five or six, and maybe those two to three men make the difference.”

Nonetheless, when unquestionable talent of the Slovak has emerged, Cannondale put some efforts into providing their leader with reliable team-matesin the likes of Maciej Bodnar, Kristjan Koren, Alan Marangoni or Fabio Sabatini, able to serve with their support in the race’s critical moments.

“It’s hard to say that we are at the same level as Omega, but we have a good team. We have riders who know that they have to work and how to get Peter in the best position,” said team sports director, Mario Scirea.

“It’s hard for us to have an extra man in the move when it’s down to five or six riders in the lead. At that point, you have the champions in the race. Peter needs his men there to respond to the attacks earlier, at 20 or 30 kilometres out.”

While Sagan has already proved many times that he is perfectly able to play the races’ finales left on his own, the team’s support appeared to be absolutely necessary in earlier parts of cobbled events, marred by crashes and frequent mechanicals.

“It’s a war to always stay in the front spots,” Marangoni said. “You want to be there because the race can change from one minute to the next with a crash or with an escape that might prove important.

“We are not at Omega’s level but we showed last year that we are almost near that level.”

The 24-year old Slovak, who has already won E3 Harelbeke, first stage of Driedaagse De Panne and finished third in Gent-Wavelgem, is apparently unconcerned by the suggested weakness of his team ahead of Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix.

“The guys that come here, my group, they are strong and ready to race in Belgium,” Sagan said. “You think with the results that we have had have not shown that already?”