yesterday 07:15
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Peter Sagan. An exceptional Slovak sports personality. The sporting public around the world has already heard about the important announcement of the three-time world champion in road cycling on his 33rd birthday in Argentina.
After his return from South America to Europe on Sunday, he gave Šport another exclusive interview, in which we return not only to the mentioned words from San Juan, but also delve deeper into his plans for this year and those that await him after the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
PETER SAGAN after returning from Colombia, not only about his cycling future, but also about whether he will come to greet the fans at Okolo Slovakia
Peter, you have started your fourteenth season in the world’s top road cycling. And it seems that the last one too. This is evidenced by your statement in Argentina. Did you think about it for a long time or was it a spontaneous decision?
“First of all, I would like to emphasize that this will be my last year as a professional in road cycling, but not in cycling in general. As I said, next year I will focus on mountain bikes at the highest level, so 2024 will be my last in top cycling. To get back to your question, I haven’t thought about it for a long time, but I’ve thought about it a lot.
The decision did not take much time, but came after careful consideration. I can say that it was a decision that was easy but difficult at the same time. I think there is a moment for everything in life and this time was the moment when it comes to cycling. Of course, I discussed it a lot with my close group of people – Giovanni Lombardi, Gabriel Uboldi and Jan Valach, and the decision was made like this.”
What was the main reason for your decision? Your supporters didn’t take it as a gift on your birthday, but they were disappointed…
“I would say there were two main reasons. First of all, as I said, there was a moment in my mind to make this decision. Second, I realized that lately I haven’t been enjoying the peloton as much as I used to. Many of my friends have already retired from racing or are about to retire, so I thought it was time to make way for new generations of professional cyclists.”
Many say that 33 is not the age to retire from the scene. In your case, it’s fourteen seasons in the World Tour, it’s the same as someone entering it at the age of, say, 24 and finishing at 38. You said in the media last year that you don’t feel like leaving the top racing scene just yet and you have with many goals. What has changed?
“I have also heard similar comments, but I don’t think there is a right age to retire from the top racing scene. I believe that everyone feels in himself and in his heart when that moment will come. For example, my friend Alejandro Valverde left the world peloton when he was 42 because he decided that was the best time. For me, this moment happened right now. Maybe in the case of other racers, I would also be surprised if someone at, say, my age would do that.”
You want to end your cycling career at the Olympic Games in Paris on a mountain bike. Weren’t you more attracted to the road where you spent most of your racing career?
“I have decided that my professional road racing career will end at the end of 2023. So it is not a matter of whether Olympic road racing is more attractive to me or not. I have made a decision that the year 2023, at the end of my active activity, will belong to road cycling and I will spend the following one in mountain biking.
It was mountain biking that was my first big cycling passion, in which I achieved my first world successes. After the amazing experience of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, I had the idea of returning under the five rings in this particular branch of cross country racing. It will be an exceptional and great end to my active racing season.”
With whom will you consult and build your race and program for the next season in mountain biking in order to win an Olympic place in the qualifying races?
“The two most important people I will rely on during my preparation in 2024 will be my close friend and sports director Jan Valach and my coach at TotalEnergies Jens van Beylen. Jens is an extremely competent professional and we get along very well. In addition to Jan and Jens, I will have the full support of the bike manufacturer Specialized, just like in 2016, which was something special and invaluable.”
Your first competitive appearance this year in Argentina showed that you are very well prepared. You finished in the top ten six times and it was your best performance in all your starts in Agentín. Did you feel equally good during the stages?
“Yes, I have to admit that the 2023 season has started well and is a continuation of the good end of the previous season. The year 2022 was one of the most difficult in my professional career in terms of health. I was plagued by quite big problems. However, in the final part of last season, I already recovered, the feelings were good and I am happy to emphasize that it is the same at the beginning of this new season.”
There were reports from Colombia that you are enjoying it while training in the high altitude environment there…
“Yes, it was at high altitude. Medellin is a good location for me. It lies high, but at the same time provides the opportunity to train on flat sections thanks to the plateaus that are located in this region. I’ve been there before, so from my point of view it was the best preparation option, considering I’ve already been to South America.”
So, are you overall happy with the weeks you spent in Argentina and Colombia? Did you accomplish everything you wanted to?
“I think I was able to get the most out of the training and I returned to Europe well prepared. I believe that I can do it in the first starts on our continent and then also in others, which will be more important.”
Your European leg of the final road season starts this weekend in Belgium. Are you looking forward to the classics?
“I returned to Europe on Sunday from a high altitude, so until the first competition weekend on the Belgian roads I will only train a little at home, but nothing extreme. Just so that I don’t lose contact with the bike and then it will start in full as is traditional in this period.”
Although it came out of your mouth that you only have a fixed competition program until the end of the spring classics, your program until the end of the season appeared in the media in Slovakia as well. What awaits you after the classics – will it be something very similar to last year, preparation in Utah, Around Switzerland, Tour de France, WC…?
“I honestly don’t know what was posted or said, but it’s definitely speculation. To tell you the truth, I haven’t even discussed it with the team. Barring any incidents or health problems, we have set my race program up to the Tour de France, but not beyond. It will be more or less the same program that I have always had in my career.
We will start in Belgium, then continue with Strade Bianche, Tirreno – Adriatico, Milano – San Remo and traditional classics in Belgium and France. After that, I would like to complete another high-altitude training and then the Round of Switzerland race, the Slovak championship and the Tour de France.
Like every other year, halfway through the season we will sit down with the team and decide on the rest of the racing calendar. However, meeting this schedule will be a difficult task because you never know what can happen.”
Information appeared in some foreign media that your start in the Tour of Flanders race is questionable. Is that a duck?
“If my form and state of health allow it, the Tour of Flanders, together with the other monuments Milan – San Remo and Paris – Roubaix, will of course be the most important races of the first part of the season. Just like every other year.”
Of the monumental classics in which you have started so far, you still have one unfulfilled desire – a victory at Milan – San Remo. Will it be your top priority during the competitive spring?
“Sure, the Milan-San Remo triumph is one of those victories that I still lack in my collection, but my preparation will be similar to any other year. I’ve been close to winning a few times in San Remo and I’ll try again this year. However, as I said before, all the classics are important to me.”
During the interview for our newspaper at the beginning of December, you said, among other things, that you would like to start the Okolo Slovakia race once more. In connection with your decision to end your road career, the chances of you coming back to the most important domestic stage race this year have probably increased. Can your fans look forward to it today? Is it more real again?
“It’s not related to the fact that it’s my last year in the road peloton, but participating in Okolo Slovakia was and will be a great honor and privilege for me. I will do everything in my power to visit them again, but it is not yet decided and it is not entirely up to me.
The decision will be made together with the TotalEnergies team and must correspond to the overall plan and goals of the team. At the moment I cannot confirm my participation, but I will try not to miss the start. Racing in Slovakia in front of beautiful Slovak crowds is always a pleasure. All the more so because now it will be my last competitive year.”
It is said that the organizers have already started to prepare the track tailored to Peter Sagan, so that it would not be extreme for him. Was it a good decision on their part?
“It is not up to me to make decisions and influence the Okolo Slovakia track. Absolutely not. It will be decided by the organizers and honestly, if I can be there and feel the warmth of my Slovak fans, I will be very happy, even if I have to ride long and difficult climbs. It is always what happens in the race itself, what the tactics and efforts of the teams are, and not what their track is. However, I still don’t know definitively whether I will be able to participate.”
During the recent decision to end your racing career after the Olympics in Paris, did you already know what would follow? Do you want to stay in cycling events like brother Juraj, who is embarking on the path of sports director?
“I don’t know what will happen after the Paris Olympics. It is important to always remember that I have to qualify first and that will be an equally crucial process. I have not yet decided what will happen after the Olympic Games, but I can guarantee that I will not follow in Juraj’s footsteps. It is not my intention to become a sports director. I think it’s great to have sports director Sagan in the team and I have no doubt that Juraj will be very successful.”
Do you have any other plans? Is there something that attracts you more that you would like to pursue?
“I don’t have a clear idea about it yet. Nevertheless, I would like to continue to support in some form the companies that supported me during my racing career – Specialized, Sportful and 100%. It’s not just the three main sponsors who have stood by me all these years. I also consider them my friends. Personally, the most important thing I would like to do is spend more, much more time with my son Marlon.’
