"The signs are promising" towards Tour de France, Peter Sagan's coach affirms

Peter Sagan has had his first half of the season filled with disappointment, in what seemed to be the effects of a Covid-19 infection he suffered earlier in the year. Now back on the bike after taking a break during the spring, there is an environment of positivity around the TotalEnergies rider.

"We did a whole series of tests. We could not find a specific cause for his problems. Peter felt tired, he had pain in his legs, after training and after the races. He had never felt that," his coach Jens Van Beylen told Het Laatste Nieuws. "We decided that Peter was still feeling the aftermath of a coronavirus infection in late December, early January. Call it a post-corona syndrome," he said, referring to what is commonly knows as 'long Covid'. 

Hving finished fourth in a bunch sprint at Tirreno-Adriatico and fifth at Milano-Torino, the Slovakian has shown to have his usual maximum power and positioning skills, however in longer efforts - where he used to thrive - he has not been able to have a competitive rhythm. Throughout the spring there were tests conducted but no apparent reason as to why that was.

"Peter had to re-set physically and mentally. We have monitored the symptoms and Peter has maintained a good foundation. The intensity will be stepped up in the coming weeks," van Beylen added. Sagan has traveled to Utah, USA, where he is on a three-week training camp ahead of the Tour the Suisse - his traditional run-up race to the Tour de France.

"The signs are promising. But of course we have to make reservations for how he will perform in competitions again, with tempo changes and high intensity. The goal is for him to perform at maximum performance again," he added.

TotalEnergies' coach explained: "He is a newcomer to the squad and he has not yet been able to prove himself or make his mark. That causes frustration for him, more than for us. There is no pressure with us," however, he also points out: "He is incredibly ambitious. He has a very great perseverance to achieve what he wants to achieve. If he can train 100 percent again, he will compete for the green jersey.”