Peter Sagan Announces Plans to Race XC at the 2024 Olympics After his Road Racing Retirement

Jan 27, 2023 at 7:01
by Ed Spratt  

Peter Sagan has announced that he hopes to race at the Paris 2024 Olympics after completing his last full season on the road in 2023.

During the Vuelta a San Juan road race Peter Sagan announced his retirement by saying: "I would like to say the moment has arrived."

"I decided I would like to finish this season as a rider in WorldTour races. I would like to prepare for the Olympic Games in 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."

Sagan previously raced XC at the Olympics during the 2016 games in Rio and competed in the eMTB XC World Championships in Les Gets last year. Sagan has said it is not about winning a medal next year but to enjoy himself ahead of retirement.

“It’s not about the medal or something. It’s more about what I want to do. There’s not 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.”

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76 Comments
  • 72 2
 Love the main picture of him walking the bike on the course. Was that selected on purpose Smile
  • 10 2
 Right. Makes it seem like he has some work to do haha
  • 13 0
 I commented about this last time they used this photo in an article about him and I got the response that it's the only photo nobody has the rights to or something
  • 22 0
 As i remember he was in the top 10, when punctured. Climbed back to the top10 and punctured again.
  • 21 0
 @rocsipeti: yep he's pretty decent technically on MTB. And one of the best bike handlers ever in the pro peloton.
  • 25 0
 @rocsipeti: That is correct, Sagan front flatted in his Olympic debut on a pretty tough course with lots of opportunity to flat. Sagan is a certified bad a$$. There are definitely cyclists that cross over into other cycling disciplines, but only a handful that actually compete at a high level after crossing over. Sagan is one of those(PFP and Pidcock are definitely on this list as well). I watched Sagan compete and win the 7 stage Tour of California. For a sprinter/one day specialist, this is no easy feat on a course with lots of climbing. Sagan suffered like a dog in August heat to retain the jersey and win the overall. Shows the extent to which he can suffer and display his immense talent. Always a crowd favorite and always animated, I wish him success!
  • 9 2
 bit of click bait running with puncture
  • 3 0
 @mtbmaniatv: I've seen vids of him on a mtb. He's actually got goodh descending skills. More than enough to race XC.
  • 5 0
 @sofakingwetarded: My recollection is the big S rolled the dice and had their riders on 550gram 29er tires and it backfired spectacularly (my #s could be a bit off). They did a full redesign shortly after. I think he had 3 or 4 flats that day.

An oldie but goodie: youtu.be/DwTy3N5T9uw
  • 2 0
 @aquanut: And I think Sam Gaze was the other.
Also on Specialized tyres
  • 2 0
 @sofakingwetarded: ^^^^^ That Baldy stage was epic! The man can dig deep.
  • 1 0
 Well, he certainly has the quads for walking it.....
  • 1 0
 @mtbmaniatv: well while you are smiling I guess rest of the start field have different feelings. He's pretty skilled not even talking about fitness
  • 1 0
 @sofakingwetarded: There was nothing particularly tough about that Brazil course.

But I look forward to watching him race on the Mountian bike to finish his career. I dont think he is to the level of a MVDP, Pidcock at this point in his career but he still has some fight left in him.
  • 4 0
 @chakaping: Not as good as the average Pinkbike user. Lots of Olympians here.
  • 47 1
 He was junior xco world champ, just sayin
  • 34 0
 Right?
I wonder if you compared his bank account to Nino's if anyone would be blaming him for going to the road.
  • 9 0
 also a second place as a junior in cyclocross world championships.
  • 2 0
 @ReformedRoadie: also we should look to the happiness account... he is kinda sincere is not what he enjoys the most the road... of course Ego (other approval) gets insufled... but this doesn´t bring happiness at the end cause like he says is doing it for "others" expectations.. not what he trully loves...
  • 1 0
 @PauRexs: And he'll retire well before 40 and be set up to live more than comfortably for the rest of his life. Then he can ride his mountain bike as much as he wants, which I am sure he does in the off season.
  • 23 0
 Good for him man. Awesome to see that he just wants to ride to ride. The fact that he has the caliber of talent to have that riding be in the olympics is pretty impressive. Hope he can pull one out of the bag and have a good race there.
  • 12 0
 I wish my riding to just ride was at an Olympic talent/fitness level. Crazy how fit these guys are
  • 20 5
 His Insta shows he's serious: signed up for van der Poel's tech riding skills clinic.
  • 1 6
flag WhateverBikes (Jan 29, 2023 at 12:05) (Below Threshold)
 If you are - even jokingly - implying that MvdP has bad tech riding skill, you don't know what you are talking about.
  • 18 4
 Looking forward to see him at Hardline 2024. That's MTB, too.
  • 14 0
 This is awesome. Peter seems like a good dude and just loves riding bikes
  • 10 0
 When does he start racing gravel? Is that the next step after he retires from MTB?
  • 4 0
 I think he was at Unbound gravel last year, actually.
  • 2 0
 He raced gravel worlds last year too
  • 9 0
 Super cool, I am huge fan of Sagan's and am glad he's coming back over to his roots!
  • 9 0
 The 2024 XCO race could be all-time if we get Nino, MVDP, Pidcock, and Sagan facing off! Looking forward to it.
  • 6 2
 It's probably a lot easier for him to qualify for the Slovakian Olympic Team than if he was say, French, Swiss, German, Belgian, Canadian. British, American or any other country that has two or more riders ranked above 139th in the UCI rankings as that is the current highest ranked Slovakian.
  • 12 0
 It is also a lot easier to win a medal...if he has the fitness. On the road, Slovakia would have no team, compared to other countries so it makes it much harder. On the mountain bike, the team doesn't really matter as much, if at all. The fact that he pulled off 3 consecutive World Championships on the road with almost zero team support makes it an even greater accomplishment.
  • 1 0
 @ReformedRoadie: I think the team thing might be overrated. At the last olympics the men's winner was from Ecuador and the women's winner was from Austria.
  • 4 0
 @sideshowmel: Austrian thing was a bit of a fluke due to bad and misinformed tactics from the Dutch team who believed they were dominating (lol). Carapaz won fair and square but utlized the other hard working teams. Kudos to both winners!
  • 8 0
 May his Peter never be Sagan.
  • 1 0
 This is the Why. Puro oro
  • 6 0
 I am retiring from the PB comments section, training for Outside+ comments section they are supposed to add in 2024.
  • 3 1
 Peter the Great. Never been the same rider since the 2018 TdF crash but by god, watching him in person power and FLOAT through the Trouee d'Arenberg in the 2016 Paris-Roubaix... just wow. Plus everything else he has done, just sublime.
  • 2 1
 His battles with Cancellara were epic at P-R, I agree about Sagan. A generational talent!
  • 2 0
 It is worth mentioning that he is MTB XCO junior world champion from 2008. In 2009 he was part of Cannondale factory team with Marco Fontana: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwTy3N5T9uw
  • 6 1
 He’ll do well. That Paris course will suck.
  • 4 1
 Looking forward too watching
  • 28 0
 I to am looking forward too watching
  • 2 0
 @DizzyNinja: et tu, Brute?
  • 4 0
 Me two.
  • 2 0
 Me three
  • 2 0
 Me for
  • 2 3
 I too am ready to race in Paris 2024, like Peter it's not about the medals, and it's not about anyone else... Where do I sign?!
  • 1 0
 That's super cool! Changing careers to do what he likes? Good on him!
  • 1 0
 Why was this in Italian Peter? I thought you were Slovakian.
  • 1 0
 What happened to this guy?
  • 1 2
 How was he doing in 2016 before the puncture? I remember him being a bust. And do we have any idea what the Paris course will look like?
  • 1 0
 He was in the top 10. And he came back in the top 10 after the first flat.
  • 1 0
 This dude can shred on a mtb. Stoked to watch him race dirt.
  • 1 0
 I may actually watch a men's XC race when this happens.
  • 1 0
 Nice!Smile
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