Peter Sagan has introduced that 2023 will likely be his closing season as an expert rider on the street. Talking at a press convention in San Juan on Thursday night, Sagan confirmed that he wouldn’t compete in WorldTour races after this season, however that he would journey the mountain bike occasion on the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“I wish to say the second has arrived,” Sagan stated. “I made a decision I wish to end this season as a rider in WorldTour races. I wish to put together for the Olympic Video games in mountain bike.”
The announcement got here on the Vuelta a San Juan as Sagan marked his thirty third birthday at a reception on the Villicum motor racing circuit. The Slovakian is within the second season of a two-year contract at TotalEnergies, and he indicated that he would journey a well-known programme of races in 2023, together with the Spring Classics and the Tour de France.
An expert since 2011, Sagan has claimed 121 profession victories, together with the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and three successive World Championships from 2015 to 2017. He has additionally carried the Tour de France inexperienced jersey to Paris a document seven instances.
“I all the time stated I wish to end my profession on the mountain bike, as a result of I began my profession on the mountain bike,” Sagan stated. “It offers me some pleasure on the finish of my profession as a result of I’m doing one thing I actually take pleasure in.
“It’s essential for me to spend time with my son Marlon and to see life from totally different angles, and never simply as a bike owner. It was by no means my dream to race or to be an expert rider till 40 or 50. I believe it’s time now. And if I’m going to have the ability to end my profession in Paris on the Olympics Video games, that’s going to be one thing good for me.”
Sagan was flanked by his TotalEnergies teammates Maciej Bodnar and Daniel Oss as he introduced his retirement, together with his former Liquigas teammate Elia Viviani and shut good friend Fernando Gaviria additionally available for the event.
Sagan additionally indicated that he might proceed to journey below the TotalEnergies banner as a mountain biker in 2024, and that he may journey occasional non-WorldTour street occasion.
“I believe all my followers and the folks deserved to know now that it was going to be my final 12 months on the street. They should know. That’s why I made the announcement in San Juan,” Sagan stated. “But when I do mountain bike subsequent 12 months, I might nonetheless come right here to race perhaps with the nationwide crew or the TotalEnergies crew.”
Sagan beforehand competed within the mountain bike occasion on the Rio 2016 Olympics, however he stated his choice to race in Paris was, above all, about enjoyment.
“It’s not in regards to the medal or one thing. It’s extra about what I wish to do,” Sagan stated. “There’s not stress anymore about whether or not I win or lose. It’s simply one thing I all the time needed, to complete my profession on mountain bike and subsequent 12 months is Olympic 12 months. However I needed to do it for me, and never for anyone else.”
Requested if he had an enormous WorldTour win left in him in 2023, Sagan stated: “Positively sure. I wish to end all of the WorldTour races this 12 months at a excessive degree. I’m not simply going to benefit from the 12 months. I wish to be at my prime degree.”
