Peter Sagan undergoes heart procedure after experiencing ‘tachycardic episode’
Slovakian has ablation procedure in Italian hospital after heart rate exceeded 200 bpm during MTB race in Spain
Peter Sagan has undergone a heart procedure today in hospital in Italy after suffering from a tachycardic episode during a recent mountain bike race in Spain.
According to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Sagan underwent an ablation procedure at a hospital in Ancona, Italy, today after his heart rate exceeded 200 bpm during a race near Valencia last weekend.
Further tests were carried out on Sagan earlier this week which revealed he had experienced episodes of tachycardia during extreme exercise. An ablation, which is a procedure in which excess body tissue is removed, is expected to enable him to resume training and competition after a period of recovery.
The Slovakian retired from the road at the end of last season and is now solely focusing on mountain bike racing as he builds towards the Paris Olympics this summer. He is expected to fully bow out from competition after the mountain bike events in Paris and completely retire from elite sport.
Sagan had already competed in two MTB events since the turn of the year as he looks to accrue sufficient UCI points in order to help Slovakia qualify for competition in the Olympics. He competed in a race in Chelva, Spain as well as at an event in Abu Dhabi last week.
La Gazzetta stated that due to his health issues, he will now sit out an upcoming event in Banyoles in which he was expected to race. Sagan was expected to travel to South America this April in order to compete in the first UCI World Cup events of the season in Brazil.
According to reports he is expected to be able to resume competition at the Marseille France MTB cup later this year. Cycling Weekly reached out to Sagan’s representatives in order to enquire about his expected recovery time.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Cycling Weekly understands that Sagan will be able to resume training in approximately one weeks time. The procedure is expected to have minimal impact on his planned competition schedule.
Sagan was forced to sit out competition at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo due to injury. He rode the cross-country mountain bike event at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro but a mechanical issue took him out of medal contention.
He also competed in the recent mountain bike events at the World Championships in Scotland. Sagan finished 63rd behind the winner, Tom Pidcock, in the cross-country event, 7-14 down on the British rider and reigning Olympic champion.
Thank you for reading 20 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
Tom has been writing for Cycling Weekly since 2022 and his news stories, rider interviews and features appear both online and in the magazine.
Since joining the team, he has reported from some of professional cycling's biggest races and events including the Tour de France and the World Championships in Glasgow. He has also covered major races elsewhere across the world. As well as on the ground reporting, Tom writes race reports from the men's and women's WorldTour and focuses on coverage of UK domestic cycling.
-
I can’t even remember the price of my latest bike — the trauma is too deep
Dream bikes are best left locked up in fantasy land, argues CW's columnist
By Michael Hutchinson Published
-
Buying a saddle online without a fit is a risky move — here's how to find the best perch for you
Getting your saddle right makes all the difference, we spoke to an expert to help guide you in the process
By Rob Kemp Published
-
Peter Sagan finishes second in last ever professional race
Former three time road world champion was the runner up in the Slovakian national MTB championships on Sunday
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'It's a miracle': The inside story of how Peter Sagan ended up on a team called Pierre Baguette
Six years after the dream first took root, Boris Horváth finally has Peter Sagan on his team
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Peter Sagan confident of return to bike in 15 days after latest heart procedure
Sagan recently underwent second operation in Italy to tackle heart rhythm related issues
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Peter Sagan undergoes second heart procedure, as Olympics nears
Return to training after first operation reveals further heart rhythm issues
By Tom Thewlis 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
-
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