Mountain biker Sagan vows to start 'hard', race 'harder' in Rio
Charismatic world road race champion Peter Sagan says he'll go out all guns blazing in the Olympic mountain bike competition in Rio on Sunday.
"What can I do? Just start hard and go harder and harder," said the popular Slovak.
Sagan is world champion and one of the best one-day classic riders in the world -- on the road.
But he chose to skip the Rio road race because he deemed it too hilly for him, instead preferring to take his chances in mountain biking.
"I took the decision not do the road race in January, already since then I've been focussed on the mountain bike race.
"I'm happy with my (road) season for what I did before, it's OK."
Belgian Greg Van Avermaet was a surprise winner of the road race as he trumped the specialist climbers.
Van Avermaet is a similar type of rider to Sagan.
"The Olympics road race was a very strange race," said Sagan.
"There were no strong teams, it depended on which breakaway you got in, and also luck.
"He also got a bit lucky because they crashed in front, (Vincenzo) Nibali and (Sergio) Henao.
"But for sure a gold medal is for your whole life, it's nice (that Van Avermaet won) I think."
As for his decision to ride in mountain biking, Sagan said it was his first love -- he was world junior champion in the discipline eight yeas ago.
"I started on mountain bikes and for me it's always special, it's something more fun (than road racing)," he said.
"It's not something really rare for me, I train on a mountain bike also at home, especially this year.
"For sure it's nothing different. I didn't do the World Cup or big races but I'm here for the biggest race in the world -- that's funny!"
But he admitted the race would be an unknown quantity for him as he has taken part in only two races -- earlier in the Spring -- over the last seven years.
"I don't hope for anything. I believe I can be good, but I haven't done mountain biking for seven years, a lot of things have changed."
But he vowed to give his best.
"I want to try, we will see. I don't expect anything big but you're going to get my maximum for sure."
He added: "What can I do? I will do my best, I want to try, that's not a bad thing, I think."