Peter Sagan will restart his road racing career on Wednesday at the Tour of Hungary. One of the greatest sprinters of all time, the Slovakian retired at the end of last season to concentrate on mountain biking. He hoped to compete in that sport at the Paris Olympics, but two surgeries threw his plans off track.
Peter Sagan resigned from road racing at the end of the 2023 season, but he is making a stunning comeback at the Tour de Hongrie this week for Pierre Baguette.
The legendary sprinter and triple green jersey winner at the Tour de France has shifted his concentration from road racing to mountain biking in 2024, with the goal of qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
His mountain biking aspirations were put on hold after undergoing surgery in February for irregular heart rhythms, with a second follow-up surgery scheduled for March. As a result, Sagan’s spring has been disrupted, prompting him to reconsider his fitness goals.
“My expectation is to have some race kilometres, and finishing the Tour of Hungary will undoubtedly elevate me to a higher level,” he told the media before the first stage, according to Cycling News.
“I have no big ideas because I know it’s very hard – there are some riders who have been training since October, November, and December and have done a lot of preparation for this race, and I’m out because of the heart surgery and recovery.” I misplaced a lot of preparation.
“After that, I’ll assess how I feel about whether my problem has been solved or if it will reoccur. Nobody knows. I have no expectations. My next plan will be established following the Tour of Hungary.”
Sagan had a remarkable road race career, winning seven green jerseys in the Tour de France, 12 individual stage victories, and three road world titles among his many accomplishments.
He began his career on mountain bikes, but has yet to add an Olympic medal to his trophy cabinet. It’s unclear whether he’ll be ready participate later this year, but this week’s race should give him an idea of whether his recovery is on track.
Although the big World Tour teams are now racing in the Giro d’Italia, Sagan will face off against his old nemesis Mark Cavendish, who is riding for Astana Qazaqstan.
Cavendish was thought to be retired by now, but the duo could find themselves at the sharp end of the opening stage, which is heavily geared for sprinters.
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