His heart rate monitor registered readings over 200 beats per minute on multiple occasions.
Slovak cycling star Peter Sagan participated in the men’s elite cross-country short track race at the 2023 World Championships in Glentress Forest, Scotland, on August 10. The three-time road world champion recently underwent a heart operation due to tachycardia issues.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Sagan experienced unusually high heart rates after a mountain bike race near Chirva, Valencia, last weekend. His heart rate monitor recorded numbers exceeding 200 beats per minute.
After ending his 15-year road racing career at the end of last season, Sagan has fully committed to mountain biking this year, with an ultimate goal of competing at the Olympics in Paris this summer. However, further tests earlier this month revealed that the 34-year-old cyclist exhibited abnormal tachycardia during high-intensity exercise.
To address the issue, Peter Sagan will undergo a procedure, including an ablation, in Ancona, Italy. This surgery typically involves freezing or heating areas of the heart to create scar tissue, which aims to correct arrhythmias. It is hoped that the surgery will allow Sagan to resume training and continue his sporting career soon.
Peter Sagan also shared an English translation of a statement from Ancona’s Università Politecnica delle Marche hospital, where he had the procedure. The hospital statement said, “The athlete is currently in good condition. We have carried out an internal electrophysiological study, excluding any significant supraventricular or ventricular arrhythmias. For future monitoring of the athlete, a subcutaneous event recorder has been implanted.” The operation was led by Professor Antonio De L’Orso, head of Cardiology and Arrhythmology Clinic at the Marche Polytechnic University Hospital, with Dr. Roberto Corsetti, the athlete’s cardiologist, assisting.
One of the most dominant cyclists in recent history, Sagan’s former glory seems like a distant memory. The 34-year-old Slovakian, who first tasted victory in a professional race at the age of 20 in the Paris-Nice stage in 2010, has consistently been at the pinnacle of the sport ever since.
Last year, he revealed his struggles with multiple COVID-19 infections, which contributed to his decision to leave the road circuit. He announced that 2023 would be his last season in road races. Nevertheless, he hasn’t entirely left the world of cycling. Sagan joined the Slovak Continental team Pierre Baguette Cycling for 2024, planning to compete in smaller road races to qualify for the Olympic mountain bike event.
Sagan began his professional career in 2009 with the Continental team Dukla Trencin-Merida as a young prospect. In 2011, he joined the World Tour team Liquigas-Doimo, staying until the end of the 2014 season. He then moved to Tinkoff-Saxo for two seasons, followed by five successful years with Bora-hansgrohe. Finally, he signed a three-year contract with French team TotalEnergies. However, after two years without major breakthroughs, Sagan decided to quit road cycling and focus full-time on mountain biking.
It’s worth noting that Sagan started his career in mountain biking and made a successful transition to road cycling in 2008. Throughout his illustrious career, he claimed 121 victories in top-tier races, including three world championships, 12 Tour de France stage wins, and seven green jerseys. He also triumphed in Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders.
Sagan made an appearance in mountain biking at the 2016 Rio Olympics but was unfortunate to lose medal contention due to a flat tire. He missed the Tokyo Olympics due to injury.
Reflecting on his transition back to mountain biking, Sagan said, “Although I dabbled in mountain biking more than a decade ago, the sport has changed dramatically. The competition is fiercer. For me, this switch is like going from Formula 1 to rally racing; I need to adapt and learn again.”
As part of his mountain biking training, Sagan will compete in Continental road races for the Slovakian Pierre Baguette team this season, while his brother Juraj Sagan serves as the team’s sports director. Sagan remarked, “I don’t have many regrets about leaving road racing. I’m happy to continue with mountain biking and look forward to making my mark in this discipline.”
To qualify for the Paris Olympics, Sagan must accumulate sufficient UCI points. Currently, only the top 19 nations secure spots, and Slovakia ranks 38th, over 1000 points behind 19th-placed neighbor Czech Republic. This means Sagan must bridge the gap before May 26.
Originally, Sagan planned to race in Banyoles this month, followed by the Coupe de France in Marseille and the first UCI World Cup event in Brazil in April. However, his recent health concerns forced him to skip Banyoles. Despite this setback, he eagerly hopes to recover quickly and return to competition to earn more points.