For men who have high hopes for the second half of the calendar, January racing is a strange proposition. A win is always welcome, but not at all costs. Peter Sagan has made it a habit to win early in the season, but in his 10 years of professional racing, he has won only three races in the first month.

After finishing sixth on the first day of the Vuelta a San Juan, Sagan finished fifth in a group sprint on the second stage in Pocito on Tuesday. He said, "I felt good, but I still need more time to get the best legs. I'm not worried.

Sagan will have three more chances to sprint before the week is out, but for Bora-Hansgrohe director Jan Valach, the event in Argentina is more about picking up bouquets than laying the groundwork.

"Winning would naturally confirm my position," he said. Peter is an experienced rider and is already at a good level. This race isn't too difficult, but it's a good preparation race. The combination of stages is good, and the logistics are good because we stay in the same hotel every night."

Incidentally, Sagan's only January victories have come in the last two years at the Tour Down Under; 12 months ago, he traveled from Australia to Argentina in the southern hemisphere. With the Classical, Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and Olympics all on his 2020 schedule, Sagan has opted to pack light this time around.

"I wanted him to start the season differently," Valach said.

"I wanted him to start the season differently," Valach said.

Following a practice that began in 2016, his first campaign in the rainbow jersey, Sagan took an extended break from racing in February, training in the Colombian highlands with two or three teammates before returning to competition on March 7 at Strade Bianche, Tirreno - Adriatico to fine tune for the Milano-Sanremo.

Of course, a year ago, Sagan's classic campaign was ultimately mitigated by illness, but he and his entourage saw little reason to change his buildup.

"He can prepare alone, away from the race, and prefers to work at altitude. He's one of those guys who can condition himself in training and get back into shape in a couple of races."

Sagan's start to the year is familiar, but he has made one notable change to his calendar, incorporating his debut appearance in the Giro d'Italia between the classics and the Tour de France. Six days after the Tour finishes in Paris, Sagan will be on the start line in the road race for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Speaking to Cycling News last month, Sagan said the Olympics could mark the end of the 2020 season.

Many riders have already highlighted the difficulty of being competitive in Japan after such a quick turnaround. Alejandro Valverde has admitted that he is unlikely to finish the Tour, and Vincenzo Nibali has already announced that he will avoid La Gran Bucle altogether. Sagan, who has already won seven green jerseys, has little to prove in France, but Valach, who is also Slovakia's national coach, dismissed the notion that he would withdraw prematurely with Tokyo in mind.

"Even if the Olympics were very important, I would not leave the Tour in that way. That would not be ideal because there is very little time between the two races, but I will concentrate on the Tour first and then look ahead to the Olympics." I will do everything in my power to give 100% in the Tour de France. "

Four years ago, Sagan chose to forego a road race in Rio in favor of a quirky attempt to succeed in mountain bike racing. The difficulty of road race parkour was a major reason for this decision, but Greg Van Avermaet's subsequent victory suggested that it may have been hasty. 'It's easy to say that after the fact,' he said. But this is a different year, and you never know," Valach said.

Still, there is no doubt that the Rio experience has inspired Sagan to try his hand at road racing in Tokyo. As in Brazil, the route is ostensibly for climbers, but on closer examination, there is a good chance that an athlete like Sagan could medal.

"It's a route for climbers, but for more aggressive climbers, climbers who can also sprint, if you will," says Valach. Peter has the ability to conquer the climbs, and after the Tour he will have a good base and weight. Of course, a lot will depend on the days between the Tour and the Olympics. But if he has a good day, he could have a very good race."

"The final climb 30km from the finish is very, very hard, but with a maximum team size of five riders and the time trialists having to be part of that five, it could be a difficult race to control.