Could Sagan be a GC Contender?

It would never happen because Sagan would make more money as a sprinter/points racer.  His flare for winning and celebrations would be thrown out the window as a GC racer...severly crippling his marketability and sponsorship opportunities.  Prize money in bike racing is nothing...as all of it gets shared with the entire team anyway.  Pro riders make their money with their contracts and sponsorships. 

Ok...but even if he wanted to become a GC contender...could he do it.  Doubtful.  We watched Sagan "climb" and drop Cav/Greipel to make it to the finish on Stage 7, but it's not like his team was setting an ultra high pace through the two climbs of that stage...there were still about 60+ people left in the peloton at the finish.  Compare that to the pace team Sky set during Stage 8 where they completely ripped the peloton apart, and by the time they were done, there were only about 5 people left chasing.  Huge difference when you're talking about Sagan being able to "climb" as compared to the other sprinters, then trying to compare his climbing ability to the GC contenders.

Also throw in the fact that as a GC contender, you need to be on your game for all three weeks of a grand tour.  You can't pick your spots and focus on specific stages here and there like sprinters/points racers do.  There's also a huge difference between staying on your team's wheel during a climb and responding to an attack from a true climber like Quintana, Contador, or Rodriguez.

I am a huge Sagan fan, and I also love watching the points race just as much as the GC race.  To me, watching Sagan dominate the green jersey competition is more entertaining as watching a GC contender dominate.  I actually think that the GC is overrated.  I hate the fact that a guy like Evans can win the TdF without winning a single stage.  IMO, I rather watch guys put it all on the line trying to cross the finish line first, and sacrifice their strength on the next stage as compared to simply managing time gaps for 3 weeks.  Watching Wiggins win last year was extremely boring.  The best GC races are when the contenders are constantly throwing blows at each other...that didn't seem to happen at all last year but it looks a little more promising this year.

Maybe in person Sagan looks lankier but based on what I've seen of him over the years (on TV) he is nowhere near the body type of Froome.  Froome's upper body actually makes me shudder how skeleton-like it is... Schlek isn't far behind either...

Again on TV, it looks as though Sagan's legs are twice as thick as Froome and Schlek....I can't recall Hjedal's leg thickness but I'd bet he's not as thick as Sagan either..

As for what I think about Sagan's chances at a GC, I just don't see it... Thor Hushovd is a closer approximation in my mind to Sagan and he's pulled off some incredible stage victories but paid a price and faded over the course of the tour...

And while I'm on the subject, Thor is the coolest name of all time in cycling...