Peter Sagan is unlikely to compete in Paris-Roubaix and will undergo further testing in France.

The Total Energy rider abandoned his ride at the Circuit de la Sarthe on Wednesday and is now back in France for further testing.

Sagan told La Gazzetta dello Sport, "I am not feeling well, I feel tired a lot.

Sagan tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time in January and was sick at Tirreno-Adriatico; the COVID-19 forced him to miss an important block of preseason training, but he hoped to gradually get back into shape. However, he was unable to complete Ghent-Wevelgem and thus missed the Tour de Flanders. With his health now his top priority, there seems little point in competing in Paris-Roubaix.

Sagan passed a series of tests and checks after COVID-19 before returning to racing and training, but was unable to find an adequate level of fitness.

"Peter has not been feeling well lately. His legs hurt much more than usual and he has difficulty making big efforts. He is sometimes lightheaded and really tired," his friend and press officer Gabriele Ubaldi told "Tuttobiciweb."

"Peter had some tests last week with team doctor Louis Noisette, and he is going to France again for further tests. This is a good thing, because even when he was not in good shape, Peter had never been in such a state."

He said.

Sagan joined Total Energy this year after five seasons with Bora Hansgrohe. He is now 32 years old and has enjoyed success at the World Tour level for 10 years, but insists he is still highly motivated to race and hungry to win again.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport's calculations, Sagan has raced nearly 1,000 races in his professional career, achieving 500 top-10 finishes and 300 podiums: three world titles, seven points-prize jerseys at the Tour de France, the 2018 Paris~. He has won 119 races, including victories at Roubaix and the 2016 Tour de Flanders.

His success began to decline in 2019, but in 2021 he won five races, including a stage win at the Volta a Catalunya and a stage win at the Giro d'Italia. He struggled at the Tour de France, getting caught up in Caleb Yuan's crash in a sprint win on stage 3 and eventually abandoning the race before stage 12.

Sagan was one of many riders to suffer from illness in COVID-19 and beyond. Gianni Moscon ended his spring classics campaign after the Tour de Flanders due to illness, and new Astana Cazacstan teammate Vincenzo Nibali is back in training after missing most of March. Filippo Ganna retired from the Circuito di Sarthe on Friday and is still trying to find his best form after falling ill on the eve of Milano-Sanremo.

Wout Van Aert was forced to miss the Tour of Flanders after contracting COVID-19. Most teams have been hit by COVID-19 and illness, forcing constant roster shuffling.

Sagan hopes to first understand and resolve his health issues before returning to training and racing. Since Total Energies will not be competing in the Giro d'Italia, Sagan will aim to be back to his best for the Tour de France.