Happy birthday to Peter Sagan who turns 33 today! And, on his birthday, the Slovakian rider announces that at the end of the season (2023) he will close the road. Goals are always important but it won't be easy to achieve them, given that in recent years he has lost a bit of polish compared to the golden years. In the viewfinder Milan Sanremo (always close to victory), Paris-Roubaix (won in 2018), stages at the Tour and World Cup, but from 2024 we think of something else. No longer road, but an entire year dedicated to MTB, to find new stimuli and perhaps the pedal stroke of the old days right at the Paris 2024 Olympics, his goal.
Rio 2016 OLYMPICS
Peter Sagan had already tried to get back on the MTB, right at the height of his career at the Rio Olympics: it was 2016 and the Slovak had made an approach to the MTB Olympics by abandoning the road a few months earlier and racing only in MTB. But in the race he was unlucky: he started in last position, without important points in MTB, but he was already in third position after a few meters. All the bikers sweated cold given the Slovakian's class. But after the 1st lap there were many twists and turns: both Fontana and Sagan punctured and lost a lot of ground. Too bad for Peter Sagan who, after the puncture, could no longer find the rhythm and concentration and closed in 35th place while Fontana finished in 20th place.
A bad blow for Sagan fans and for all cycling fans. 2022 had already been the year of retirements with the farewells of Nibali, Valverde, Gilbert, Colbrelli and others, and this 2023 had begun with the announced farewell of Pinot. In addition, there was the serious risk of losing Nairo Quintana but, fortunately, the Colombian has denied everything. As mentioned, however, Sagan's is not a definitive retirement from the sport. He will dive back into mountain biking, the discipline that launched him. The big goal will be to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympics. He has already competed in one edition as a mountain biker: they were the Rio Olympics in 2014, even if he finished in 35th place.

PETER SAGAN'S ANNOUNCEMENT
Hi boys. You know, I'm Peter Sagan, and I have a very important announcement to make. I'm here at the Vuelta a San Juan and today is my birthday, 33 years old. And I want to announce that this will be my last year in World Tour cycling – Peter Sagan at GCN Italy
This is not my first year in professional cycling. This is my 14th season. This year we still have many possibilities to do things well, to do the Classics, the Tour de France and the World Championships. These are my main goals. I've had the same goals for 14 years, the time has come to do something different –Peter Sagan
