Peter Sagan expected to start Tirreno-Adriatico despite suffering with stomach virus
The three-time world champion has been ill since finishing a training camp in Sierra Nevada
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Peter Sagan is suffering with a stomach virus but Bora-Hansgrohe say he will start Tirreno-Adriatico on Wednesday along the Tuscan coast.
The Slovakian just came from an altitude training block in Spain, where he had began to feel sick.
>>> Tirreno-Adriatico 2019 start list
The Bora-Hansgrohe team believe he picked up the virus while training at Sierra Nevada. Cycling Weekly learned he had diarrhoea for the last six days and looks as though he lost weight.
The three-time world champion, winner of the 2018 Paris-Roubaix, is one of the big-name starters of the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race along with Geraint Thomas (Sky). The Italian race runs almost parallel with Paris-Nice in France.
It is his third event of the season after starting the 2019 season with the Tour Down Under, winning stage three, and the Vuelta a San Juan. Sagan will be using Tirreno, where he has won seven stages in the past, to improve his form ahead of Milan-San Remo on March 23.
Despite the setback, the team is certain he will start the race on Wednesday in Lido di Camaiore. A pre-race press conference is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, Sagan will not attend but was never on the list to do so regardless.
In his favour is a relatively short opening 21.5-kilometre team time trial on stage on that should allow him an extra day to recover. The team will aim for the overall with Rafał Majka, but brought a Classics team with Daniel Oss and Marcus Burghardt to prepare for the Classics run with Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
Sagan is pushing all the way through to Liège-Bastogne-Liège this spring. With that in mind, he stayed in Sierra Nevada and skipped the Strade Bianche gravel race on Saturday. With the Classics run already starting next Saturday, both Sagan and the German WorldTour team will want him to participate at Tirreno to have a chance at winning Milan-San Remo for the first time.
In addition to the preparation, an inform-Sagan would have a chance to win almost every stage but the time trials.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
-
Adrie van der Poel reveals banter exchanged with Mathieu before CX World Championships
Van der Poel senior says that his sons cyclo-cross season has been ‘perfect’ preparation for a strong start to the cobbled classics
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
'They come to my country and kill kids': UCI's decision to allow Russian riders at World Championships draws passionate reaction
There has been a mixed response to the UCI's decision to allow Russian and Belarusian riders the opportunity to return to the international stage.
By Chris Marshall-Bell • Published
-
In celebration of Peter Sagan, cycling's rock and roll frontman
As the three-time world champion is set to call time on his career in the WorldTour at the end of 2023, we thought we would take a look back at the glory days
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
After a 'frustrating' 2022, Sam Bennett targets green at the Tour de France again
Irish Bora-Hansgrohe sprinter laments missed opportunities in 2022 due to injuries and illness, but will try again next year
By Adam Becket • Published
-
2023 Tirreno-Adriatico route revealed with 13,800m of climbing
Tirreno-Adriatico to begin with individual time trial, latter half of the week stacked with 13,800 metres of climbing in Italian week-long race
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Wout van Aert moots building gravel world championships into 2023 programme
Belgian rider says gravel racing has a ‘great future’ as he considers worlds participation next year
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Peter Sagan to ride the UCI Gravel World Championships to ‘give back to the people’
‘I still have much more to give’ says Sagan on the decision to head to Italy for the competition
By Tom Thewlis • Last updated
-
Peter Sagan has day to forget at E-MTB Worlds, crashing twice
The Slovakian came off his bike and finished in 16th
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
‘Lesson one, never give up’: Ski mountaineer turned cyclist Anton Palzer on stepping out of his comfort zone
A film released by Red Bull depicts the German rider's journey from ski champion to professional rider
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Vuelta a España 2022: Sam Bennett makes it two in a row with win on stage three
Bora-Hansgrohe's Irish rider outsprints Mads Pedersen and Dan McLay in Breda, Edoardo Affini in red
By Adam Becket • Published