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Peter Sagan training outside again following COVID-19 infection

Slovakian hopes to regain form quickly

Photo by: Peter Sagan @petosagan
January 19, 2022
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Former world champion Peter Sagan was out riding with his his new TotalEnergies teammates for the first time this year. The Slovakian took part in a six-hour ride on Monday in Calpe, Spain. The former green jersey winner received a positive COVID-19 test before the holidays which meant he had to isolate and ride indoors for a week.

Sagan left the BORA-hansgrohe team for 2022, and is now riding with the French squad. He tweeted before the holidays about the infection. “My brother Juraj and I took Covid-19 tests which, unfortunately, came out positive. We have symptoms related to the virus and we are following the corresponding guidance set by the relevant authorities. I’ll keep you posted.”

Peter Sagan is showing off his new threads

It wasn’t the first time he and his brother tested positive, either. In 2021, Sagan got into hot water after being pulled over for breaking a COVID-19 curfew. The Slovakian was fined $7100 by a Monaco court following an incident on April 25 when he was pulled over by police. At the time there was a curfew in effect and Sagan and his brother Juraj were driving home after midnight, well after the set time.

Check out the 2022 Specialized Tarmac SL7 Team colours

The French team is a slight downgrade for Sagan, as they won’t necessarily get an automatic invitation to WorldTour stage races in 2022. The good news is that having a prolific rider like him will bolster their chances of invites.

Furthermore, as a result of the team’s spot on the Proteam rankings in 2021, TotalEnergies will receive an automatic invitation to all one-day WorldTour races.

After a relatively lackluster year for one of cycling’s greatest riders ever, could a new jersey and new team mean we can see Sagan back to his winning ways? Sagan is turning 32 this year, which means his career is entering the twilight years, but the Slovakian is still targeting the spring classics, where’s he had much success in the past.