Paris (AFP) – Three-time world cycling champion Peter Sagan said on Sunday he will undergo a second heart surgery in hopes of competing in mountain biking at the 2024 Olympics.
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The seven-time Tour de France green jersey winner has retired from road racing at the age of 34 and is hoping for Olympic glory in his favorite mountain bike event.
However, in late February, during a mountain bike race in Valencia, Sagan's heart rate exceeded 200 bpm and he developed tachycardia, prompting initial intervention at Ancona Hospital.
The Slovak rider was soon back in the saddle, but explained on social media that he had suffered a second accident while preparing for this weekend's race in Marseille.
“My heart trembled a few times while I was training on the rocky roads of Marseille. Nothing surprising, but it seems like my heart needs a pit stop,” he said.
“I'm scheduled for surgery next week,” he said, pledging to return to competition soon.
In addition to winning world titles from 2015 to 2017, Sagan won 12 stages of the Tour de France.
He also won the Tour of Flanders, cycling's one-day holy grail, and the classic Paris-Roubaix on the cobblestones of the so-called Hell of the North, among 121 wins in his professional career.
He intended to end his 14-year career after the Olympics and a season on the mountain bike circuit.
© 2024 AFP
