Peter Sagan expects to return to training 15 days after second cardiac incident

Peter Sagan is confident that he will be back riding after just 15 days of rest after undergoing a second heart procedure within a month last week.

The procedure – which Sagan described as a “quick pit stop” – was carried out on March 20 after the 34-year-old suffered a supraventricular tachycardia (SVT, an incident of abnormally high heartbeat) on March 16. This was detected by Sagan’s cardiac recording device, which he had fitted in February.

“I feel very well following the quick pit stop my heart needed and after 15 days of rest I'm confident I will be back on my bike to train,” he said in an Instagram post detailing the latest update to his ongoing cardiac concerns.

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

Whilst little detail was given around why Sagan was fitted with the recording device in the first place, it is apparent that the abnormalities are ongoing. He had returned to training and racing after the first procedure, but experienced the SVT whilst riding his mountain bike in Marseille, the day after racing the French Cup, which he did not finish.

The latest procedure, a transcatheter ablation, is a keyhole surgery where a small catheter tube is inserted into the heart to break up tissue that is causing arrhythmia.

“Dr. Roberto Corsetti, the Sports Cardiologist who looks after Peter, decided to have a new electrophysiological cardiac assessment performed,” Sagan’s update explained. “Yesterday, March 20th, at the Torrette Lancisi University Hospital in Ancona, a transcatheter ablation for the supraventricular tachycardia was performed by Professor Antonio Dello Russo, in the presence of Dr. Corsetti.”

Despite the incidents, Sagan and his cardiologist are confident that only a relatively short period of recovery will be needed before the Slovakian is able to ride again.

“After a 15-day rest period and additional necessary assessments by Dr. Corsetti, Peter will be able to resume training,” the message on Instagram concluded.

Though it may not be completely derailling his training, Sagan’s various setbacks do not bode well for his goals of qualifying for the Paris Olympics mountain bike race, for which he has to score a large haul of UCI points in MTB races to secure a spot on the start line.

• Read more: Peter Sagan: I want to finish with mountain biking and finally enjoy something in cycling

He has not finished a race since being fitted with the cardiac recording device, and it is not yet clear when he will return to racing.