Peter Sagan back in training after double heart surgery

Peter Sagan has returned to training following his second round of heart surgery.

The former triple world champion on the road has switched his focus to mountain biking in 2024, and his return to training will come as a boost as he takes aim at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.

Sagan was diagnosed with anomalous tachycardia, a cardiac arrhythmia, in late February, and underwent an ablation procedure. However, after initially returning to training, he was forced to stop and undergo a second operation the week of 18 March.

On Wednesday, the the 34-year-old announced he was back on the bike, sharing a video message on social media.

"I just wanted to make a little update about me – I'm going to go for the first time on the bicycle after the surgery I had two weeks ago. Let's go," Sagan said, sporting the new-look Specialized Factory Racing kit.

His post was accompanied by a written message: "Quick update everybody! It's time to go in the saddle for my first training ride after my surgery a couple of weeks ago. Once again, many thanks for all the messages of support I received from all over the world You guys rock!!"

• Read more: Peter Sagan forced to undergo second heart operation

Sagan was first diagnosed with the problem, which involves an irregular heartbeat, at a mountain bike race in mid-February, where his heart rate was said to have exceeded 200 beats per minute.

His representatives described the ablation procedure, designed to correct arrhythmias in the heart, as "routine" and said he'd be back training within weeks and back racing in Marseille on March 17. However, it was while training on that course ahead of that weekend's racing that more anomalies were detected.

"My heart hit a few bumps," Sagan said at the time. "Nothing to worry about, you could say that my heart needs a pit stop."

The exact nature of the second round of surgery was not specified by Sagan or his team, with only the insistence that he'd be back "very soon".

Sagan has now returned to training but his race programme remains unclear. The health problems will come as a major setback in an Olympic year. Even if there is time to reach peak fitness by the end of July, when the mountain bike races take place in Paris, the double surgery does raise question marks over whether he can make a full comeback this time around.

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Peter Sagan

• Team Pierre Baguette Cycling
• Nationality Slovakia
• Age 34
• UCI Wins 121
• Height 1.84m