“I will especially miss the atmosphere and traveling with friends. I won't miss the races themselves" - Peter Sagan reflects after ending his road career

It's fair to say that in the most recent seasons, Peter Sagan has somewhat lost the spark that made him a generation-defining rider. With his road career now at an end, the Slovakian admits he had lost the love of racing.

“I will especially miss the atmosphere and traveling with friends. I won't miss the races themselves, it will mainly be the ambiance," says Sagan to Proximus from the Flandrien Gala, where he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. “I once started mountain biking and that's how I wanted to end my career, to enjoy it more. I'll definitely try that.”

Sagan won't be fully retiring just yet however, as he intends to compete at next summer's Paris Olympic Games in the mountain bike discipline. “We will certainly still go to training camp with the Specialized team, but we are now in the offseason. I just got back from Tokyo and went straight to this gala. I'm going to get some sleep first," he laughs.

“I tried to enjoy everything more," says Sagan, reflecting on his final year in the World Tour peloton. "I wanted to spend more time with fans and staff, so I broke the news at the beginning of the year. This made me think more about the people and the atmosphere around the race.”