It is impossible for Peter Sagan to earn the points to qualify for the Olympics, but he still has a chance

Since retiring from professional road cycling last season, Peter Sagan had a major goal of competing in the mountain bike event at the Paris Olympics, but it has not been easy for him. Two unexpected heart surgeries have caused him to miss a large part of the races that would have allowed him to earn the necessary points.

Peter Sagan no longer depends on himself to be at the Paris Olympics

He has been "retired" for a few months now and Peter Sagan continues to generate as much interest as ever. This week he returned to road racing at the Tour of Hungary with the Pierre Baguette Team, and although he made it clear that he only aimed to enjoy the race and accumulate kilometers for the mountain bike Olympics, he has been one of the main points of interest in the race.

This race marked Sagan's public return to cycling after his latest heart surgery and one of his staff members, Gabriele Uboldi, took the opportunity to make some statements about his participation in the upcoming Olympics.

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Uboldi has been Sagan's spokesperson for years and in statements to the Belgian media Het Nieuwsblad, he confirmed that Sagan's plan to compete in Paris has become very complicated: "We know it's going to be very difficult... Mathematically, it is no longer possible to earn enough points."

Slovakia remains in 37th position, far from the top 19 spots in the UCI country rankings that will guarantee at least one Olympic spot. And that classification will close on May 26. So Sagan has very few races left to accumulate UCI points, including the Nove Mesto World Cup. As Uboldi says, it is impossible for Sagan to earn enough points now.

The biggest setback on his path to qualification has undoubtedly been caused by the heart problems discovered during the preseason, which have forced him to undergo surgery twice and to be sidelined for the necessary recovery time. But still, Sagan could still have a chance.

In the same interview, Uboldi stated that "it will be very difficult," and confirmed that "Peter will be there, at the Games anyway. If not as an athlete, then just as a guest." This suggests that Sagan could still be competing in Paris if the International Olympic Committee offers him one of the known as Wild Cards. One of the 104 invitations that the IOC gives to individual sports athletes to ensure "competitive diversity" based on a wide range of criteria.

And although the Slovak Federation has chosen Peter Sagan to carry the national flag during the opening ceremony of the Olympics, the truth is that the three-time world champion will have to give up his place if he ultimately does not make it to Paris as an athlete.