Peter Sagan, wearing the colors of Total Energies on the third stage of the Tour de Suisse, has gained confidence heading into the Tour de France.

Peter Sagan, a three-time world champion, had his start to the 2022 spring season cut short by illness.

"It's just a stage win," Sagan said in a flash interview just after the finish.

The 32-year-old Sagan was not in the mix on the first two days of the Tour de Suisse, but he improved on the third day. The Total Energies team helped tee up a group sprint, and Sagan finished ahead of Brian Coquard (Cofidis) and Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché Wantigover).

Did he turn the corner?

"I hope so," Sagan said Tuesday. 'It hasn't been easy the last four or five months, and it hasn't been easy getting back into racing after a long layoff. It's like I really haven't raced in three months. Before that I was racing, but I was getting sick and stuff, and I didn't know what was going on with me. I don't know. But I still want to grow for the Tour de France."

Sagan had not won any races since taking the overall title at the Tour of Slovakia last September and had not crossed the finish line in first place since winning his seventh Slovak national title almost a year ago. Meanwhile, his last victory at the World Tour level came at the Giro d'Italia in 2021.

During this time, Sagan was forced to abandon the Tour de France due to injuries sustained in a crash and made a fresh start when he moved from Bora-Hansgrohe to Total Energies last winter, but a second COVID-19 diagnosis in January and prolonged illness until spring The new start was stalled by.

Sagan abandoned Ghent-Wevelgem and was forced to miss the Tour de Flanders and Paris-Roubaix; after more than three months away from racing, he took part in the "Unbound" gravel event in the US as a warm-up for the Tour de Suisse and the GP He competed in the De Cantons Aargau.

"It was hard to get back into the racing mood after my illness," Sagan admitted. 'But after being away from racing for three months, I needed time.'

At the post-stage press conference, Sagan touched a little more on the issues that had plagued him in the opening months of the season and ended his spring campaign when he abandoned the Circuit de la Sarthe in April.

"It was painful. I didn't recover even after the flat stages," Sagan said, according to L'Équipe.

Sagan will be looking for a chance to add to his record of 18 Tour de Suisse stage wins this week, but before the Tour de France, he will be looking to add another weight to his record.

Since his debut in 2012, he has won the points prize seven times at the Tour. Only once has Sagan finished the Tour without carrying the green jersey, in 2020, and even then it was a hard-fought defense against Sam Bennett.

This year, Sagan will face not only pure sprinters, but also Wout Van Aert (Jumbo Visma) and Mathieu Van Der Pol (Alpecin Phoenix).

"We are certainly here to prepare for the Tour, but not just to stay in the group.

"I'm relieved to win. But life is life. It's not about winning races that matters, it's about staying healthy."