Peter Sagan: Legendary Cyclist Shifts Focus to Mountain Biking

Peter Sagan signed off his legendary career on the road with ninth place at the Tour de Vendee on Sunday, with the Slovakian now shifting his focus to a swansong on the mountain bike.

The 33-year-old, one of the finest cyclists of his generation, bows out with a remarkable tally of 121 victories, including three consecutive World Championships from 2015 to 2017.

He also has 12 stage wins to his name at the Tour de France, where he won the green jersey a record seven times, and counts victories at the Tour of Flanders (2016) and Paris-Roubaix (2018) on a bulging palmarès.

Seen as a trailblazer, Sagan stood out as a versatile rider with impressive athleticism and individuality during his prime in the 2010s.

He will now focus on mountain bike racing and will join Specialized Factory Racing next year. He is a former junior world and European champion in the discipline.

Having competed in the mountain bike event at the Rio 2016 Olympics, finishing 35th, Sagan is keen to make a farewell appearance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

To qualify and represent Slovakia, Sagan will need to accumulate enough points for his home nation. Currently they hold the 37th position in the UCI nations rankings, and only the top 19 nations will head to Paris.

“I would like to say the moment has arrived,” he said in a press conference in January announcing his decision to swap the road for the mountain bike.

“I always said I would like to finish my career on the mountain bike because I started my career on the mountain bike. It gives me some pleasure at the end of my career because I’m doing something I really enjoy.

“It’s important for me to spend time with my son Marlon and to see life from different angles, and not just as a cyclist. It was never my dream to race or to be a professional rider until 40 or 50. I think it’s time now.

“And if I am going to be able to finish my career in Paris at the Olympic Games, that’s going to be something nice for me.

‘I was used to winning all the time!’ – Sagan’s cycling memories and mountain bike dream

“It’s not about the medal or something. It’s more about what I want to do. There’s no pressure anymore about whether I win or lose. It’s just something I always wanted: to finish my career on mountain bike, and next year is Olympic year. But I wanted to do it for me and not for anybody else.”

Long-time rival Geraint Thomas took to social media to congratulate Sagan on the end of his road career, saying: “Congrats on a road career most of us can only dream of. Although I’m pretty sure you inspired this new generation that can do pretty much everything, so no thanks for that.”

The Tour de Vendee saw Arkea-Samsic’s Arnaud Demare claim victory, with Paul Penhoet (Groupama-FDJ) and Sandy Dujardin (TotalEnergies) rounding out the podium.

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