Ex-world champion Sagan faces 'pit stop' for heart surgery

DPA
·1 min read
Slovak cyclist Peter Sagan takes part in the presentation of German racing team Bora-hansgrohe for the year 2020. Triple road race world champion Peter Sagan requires heart surgery which could endanger his bid to qualify for the Paris Olympics mountainbike race in summer. Matthias Balk/dpa
Slovak cyclist Peter Sagan takes part in the presentation of German racing team Bora-hansgrohe for the year 2020. Triple road race world champion Peter Sagan requires heart surgery which could endanger his bid to qualify for the Paris Olympics mountainbike race in summer. Matthias Balk/dpa
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Triple road race world champion Peter Sagan requires heart surgery which could endanger his bid to qualify for the Paris Olympics mountainbike race in summer.

Sagan, 34, reportedly underwent a first operation recently but that was never confirmed.

He now said on Instagram that "while I was training on the rocky trails in Marseille, my heart hit a few bumps.

"Nothing to worry about, you could say that my heart needs a pit stop. I will undergo surgery next week and thanks to my friend, sports cardiologist Dr Roberto Corsetti, I am sure I will be back in the saddle very soon," he said.

Sagan ended his road race career last year, winning three straight world titles 2015-2017, 12 Tour de France stages and also stages at the other two grand tours, the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana.

He has competed in mountainbike before, including at the 2016 Olympics.