Three-time road world champion Peter Sagan is set to undergo a procedure on his heart today after suffering a tachycardic episode.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that the Slovakian had difficulties with an unusually high heart rate after the Chelva mountain bike race near Valencia last weekend. His heart rate monitor repeatedly recorded readings of over 200 bpm.
After retiring from a fifteen-year road career at the end of last season, Sagan is racing his first full season on the mountain bike, with his ultimate goal being the Olympic Games in Paris in the summer.
It’s reported that the 34-year-old underwent a series of further tests early this week which confirmed episodes of abnormal tachycardia during high-intensity exercise.
Sagan’s procedure will take place in Ancona, Italy. This consists of an ablation, where an area of the heart is typically treated with freezing or heat to create scar tissue which aims to correct an arrhythmia. It should allow Sagan to get back to training in the near future.
Sagan now races on the mountain bike for the Specialized Factory Racing Team and has already competed in two races this season – last weekend in Chelva and also at the inaugural HERO Abu Dhabi.
He was expected to compete in Banyoles this weekend, before going on to race the Marseille France Cup and then the first of the UCI World Cup races in Brazil in April. It’s reported that Sagan will now skip Banyoles but hopes to be back on his bike in time to race in France.
To qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris, Sagan will need to secure a significant amount of UCI points. Only the top 19 nations qualify for a spot and Slovakia currently sit in 38th, more than a thousand points down on geographical neighbours and current 19th-placed Czechia. Sagan has until May 26th to bridge that gap.
Sagan competed in the cross-country mountain bike competition at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, although an early puncture took him out of medal contention. He missed the Tokyo Olympic Games due to injury. He was a junior world champion on the mountain bike in 2008.
Although his sporting roots are on the mountain bike, Sagan told Cyclingnews before his last road race at the Tour de Vendée last year that he feels he will have a lot to learn.
"14 or 15 years ago, it was a totally different sport. The races were a lot longer, also if you don’t do these races for 14 or 15 years you lose a lot," he said. "For me, it's going to be like changing from Formula 1 driving to rallying.”
As part of his training for the mountain bike. Sagan is also set to race at continental level on the road this season for the Slovakian Pierre Baguette Cycling squad, where his brother, Juraj, is a Sports Director.
"I'm not sad I'm finishing on the road. I am more than happy to continue with mountain bike and see if I am able to do something or not," he said.
