Sagan officially closes cycling chapter: "Don’t want to be compared to anyone anymore"

In a time when multi-talented riders like Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock are almost seen as the norm, it’s important to remember those who came before them. Peter Sagan may well have been the first of these all-rounders. The Slovakian rider has officially retired but is now an ambassador for the eSports World Cycling Championship.

The three-time world road champion attended the fourth edition of computer-based cycling in Abu Dhabi. This year, Sagan made a surprising return from retirement to race a few events with Pierre Baguette Cycling, but now that chapter is truly closed. "I don’t see myself competing in cycling anymore," he told Cyclingnews. "I can say that, with my stories, my experiences, and everything I have done in cycling, I’ve raced enough."

Even the eSports version of cycling is something he won’t pick up again, despite his role as ambassador. "I don’t want to be compared to anyone anymore. I can ride for fun with friends, with nice people when I feel like it, when I go for a casual ride. That’s very different from pinning on a race number. I don’t want to have to prepare for something again. If I wanted to be the best in the world again, I’d have to give up everything I’ve built and focus on training again. Otherwise, it’s pointless. To ride the World Championship and, what, finish fiftieth?"

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Osborne wins eSports World Championship in Abu Dhabi

"I know these guys train a lot," he continued. "They’re good. I have no interest in racing against them because I know they’re strong." Cycling competitions on Zwift and MyWhoosh became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing people to keep training and competing despite the lack of outdoor races. "During the pandemic, you saw it with car racing, with drivers and gamers. Who won the computer race? It was the gamers, not the Formula 1 drivers." That balance is a bit different in cycling: former Alpecin-Deceuninck rider Jason Osborne became world champion in Abu Dhabi.