After a disappointing start with his new team TotalEnergies, Peter Sagan headed to a high altitude training camp in Utah to regain top form for the Tour de France in July.

In 2022, Sagan rode the Spring Classics to Ghent-Wevelgem, finishing fifth in Milan-San Remo en route, but has not raced since retiring on the second stage of the Circuit de la Sarthe in early April.

According to Total Energies coach Jens Van Beiren, Sagan has been suffering from a long COVID this spring, having contracted the virus for the second time in January; the three-time world champion has also suffered from several illnesses in March, including fever and stomach problems

"I have been suffering from a fever and stomach problems.

"Peter was feeling tired. He had pain in his legs after training and after races. He had never felt anything like that," Van Beilen told Het Laatste Nieuws (open in new tab). We ran a series of tests but could not find a specific cause for his problem"

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"We have determined that Peter is still reeling from the aftereffects of his COVID-19 infection in late December and early January. We call it post-COVID syndrome."

Sagan was "completely reset" from the last race and was able to spend the vacations with his son Marlon, Van Beiren said.

Sagan is currently in Utah at a training camp with Total Energies teammate Daniel Oss; the two have been in Utah since May 12 and the camp will run through June 5. The camp is an important part of their preparation for the Tour de France, where they will be aiming for their eighth green points jersey, the most in Tour de France history.

"It's a training camp that follows the principle of 'live high, train high,'" Van Beiren said. "He lives at 2,200 meters altitude, which is the lowest point there is. He knows the area well and has been there before." [He is a big fan of mountain biking and has found some MTB trails. It's a nice variation to his training and a good way to adapt to the high altitude."

"The intensity will increase in the coming weeks. The signs are promising. But, of course, we will have to have reservations about how he will perform in races with tempo changes and high intensity."

Sagan will return to racing in Switzerland soon after the end of training camp. He will make his comeback at the one-day GP Cantons Aargau on June 10 and then head to the Tour de Suisse two days later.

With 17 stage victories in this race, Sagan is the record holder for overall wins in Switzerland.

"The goal for him is to perform to the best of his ability again," Van Beulen said. He's the new guy on the team, he hasn't proven himself yet, he hasn't made his mark. That's frustrating for him. There's no pressure from us

"I'm confident Peter can still do it. 'He's incredibly ambitious. He has the perseverance to accomplish what he wants to accomplish.

"If he can train at 100% again, he will be competing for the green jersey. His hungry spirit is still strong.