Peter Sagan says he will return to Rio de Janeiro after testing out the Olympic road race course this week, but probably only as a tourist.
The world champion travelled to the Brazilian city after competing at the Tour de San Luis to see if he could potentially challenge for a medal in August.
But having ridden the route with a few of his Tinkoff teammates, Sagan revealed that he may not even ride the Olympics, having discovered the course doesn’t suit his skill set.
“This course is not for me, it is more suitable for pure climbers A medal here is not for me…” Sagan is quoted as saying on Het Nieuwsblad.
Riders like Chris Froome, Alejandro Valverde and Nairo Quintana are targeting the gold medal in Rio, and now riders like Sagan are discovering just how hilly the area around the city is.
With the road race taking place just 13 days after the end of the Tour de France, Sagan might not even travel to compete, although he hopes to go back to Rio another time.
“I saw Christ the Redeemer in the distance; this is clearly a beautiful city, with lots of greenery, mountains and beaches, but I came here to work…maybe someday I will be back as a tourist,” he said.
