"I loved watching Marco Pantani. The duels between Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich were also nice" - Peter Sagan on his cycling idols growing up

Peter Sagan will switch his attention from road cycling back to the sport of his youth in 2024, mountain biking as the Slovakian eyes one last, shocking success at the Paris Olympic Games.

"I will be so focused on the mountain bike that I won't actually have time to look back," the Tour de France Green Jersey record holder says in conversation with Marca, explaining his intention for Olympic gold. "It's enough for me to qualify, then we'll see what my condition is like, because the mountain bike races are tough and there are many good competitors."

Returning to the sport of his youth has already been special for Sagan, in the training he's done since finishing his professional road career at the Tour de Vendee. "It makes me happy that I am now returning to that branch of the sport," he explains. "Because I continue to enjoy competing and getting the most out of myself."

When growing up, Sagan's cycling heroes were seemingly the general classification challengers. "I loved watching Marco Pantani. The duels between Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich were also nice," he recalls.  "Mario Cipollini was my sprint example. He did crazy things and that was fun but climbers offer more spectacle than sprinters."