Peter Sagan: "I don't see myself, anymore, wanting to compete in cycling"

Peter Sagan is in the UAE this weekend for the E-Sports World Championships. Now no longer a professional rider he continues to travel around the world as a sponsor for Specialized and occasionally other brands like MyWoosh who sponsor today's event; where he has shared that he no longer has any urge to race competitively.

Sagan admits that he does not really have interest in competing in e-sports, but alongside the likes of Tadej Pogacar and other representatives of the brand, is present in the audience this Saturday for the events that will crown new World Champions. "I'm more curious about how they made the roads and the virtual world, the scenery and stuff. But I ride with people, and now in this period, I don't really want to race. I don't see myself, anymore, wanting to compete in cycling," Sagan told Cyclingnews. "I can say my stories and my experience, what I have in cycling, I already raced enough."

Sagan has had a slow decline over his last year as a pro, but an appropriate finale to his career where he became one of the most successful and influential riders in the sport's history. He didn't manage to, but this year he focused on getting himself to the Mountain Bike Olympic Games. He still raced a few events on the road for a final goodbye; but although he no longer races he continues to be very present in the cycling world, not only as a brand ambassador but also he was at the Olympics to wave the start line flag for the road race - a title he never managed to conquer despite his massive talent.

"I don't want to be compared anymore with something. I can race for fun, with friends, with people when I want to, when I join a ride. That's something, but not like this when you have to put a number on," Sagan admits. He has by all means achieved most of what he wanted from his career, and has fulfilled his competitive bug fully.

"I don't want it to be that I have to prepare for something. If I want to be the best in the world again, I have to stop with everything I've built and focus on training again. Otherwise, there is no point. Just to race in the World Championships, and this is what, for 50th place? I know that the guys are training a lot and they are good. I'm not interested in competing with them, because I know they are strong."