'It will not be easy but I’m ready for the challenge'
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Peter Sagan pre-riding the mountain bike course at Rio Olympic Games(Image credit: Tinkoff Team)
Peter Sagan pre-riding the mountain bike course at Rio Olympic Games(Image credit: Tinkoff Team)
Peter Sagan enjoyed every single visit he made to the podium in 2016(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Peter Sagan wins in Montpellier after escaping with Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Maciej Bodnar in crosswinds near the finish
Peter Sagan in his first yellow jersey(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Road world champion Peter Sagan will line up for the mountain bike event at the Olympic Games in Rio, confirmed through a Tinkoff press release Thursday. The men's cross-country event will be held on a man-made course constructed at the Deodoro Olympic Park on Sunday, August 21.
"I'm proud to be able to race the most important mountain bike race in the calendar at the biggest sports event in the world. It's nice for me to return to my roots, representing my Slovakia. It is always an honour for every athlete to represent their home country in the Olympics."
Sagan, a former junior world mountain bike champion, has competed in three cross-country mountain bike races this season in Austria and the Czech Republic in April, which were between the Spring Classics and the Tour of California.
He last competed at the Tour de France in July where he secured his fifth consecutive green points jersey. He also won three stages: stage 2 in Cherbourg, stage 11 in Montpellier and stage 16 in Bern.
He thanked Tinkoff's owner Oleg Tinkov, along with team manager Stefano Feltrin and his teammates for their support during the Tour de France, whereby his results have given him confidence heading into the Games.
"After three stage wins and the green jersey, plus the mountains jersey for Rafal Majka, I can head to Rio confident in my shape. It will not be easy but I'm ready for the challenge," Sagan said.
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Feltrin said he was pleased to see Sagan representing Slovakia at the Olympic Games in the mountain bike event.
"It's an honour for us to have the world's number one rider on the road representing his country at the Olympics – despite swapping his Tinkoff world champion's stripes for the Slovakian national colours, we can take pleasure from watching Peter race in Rio and wish him the best of luck."
