With the specter of history spread out before him, Peter Sagan stayed true to his laid-back type on the eve of the World Championships Elite Men's Road Race.

A win in Yorkshire on Sunday would give Sagan his fourth title after Richmond in 2015, Doha in 2016, and Bergen in 2017, surpassing Eddy Merckx, Alfred Binda, Oscar Freire, and Rick van Steenbergen as the all-time record holder.

His three-year record was broken last year in Innsbruck, but the rugged Harrogate circuit is his forte and he has a great chance to return to the rainbow jersey on Sunday.

"I miss the rainbow jersey," Sagan told Cycling News on Saturday, but was reluctant to carry the burden of history.

"It will be special, but I don't think about that. There is no pressure. I'm confident, but you never know what can happen in a race."

While most of his rivals have been in Yorkshire since the middle or beginning of the week, Sagan only arrived on Friday evening.

"I arrived yesterday at 6 pm. I raced last Saturday and Sunday and had two days to recover before starting my training. Wednesday and Thursday we did long rides and the last two days we did easy rides."

Sagan's late arrival made him one of the few riders who had not ridden the 14-km Harrogate circuit beforehand. Some of the riders stress the importance of having a good knowledge of the course, as it has many corners and could become complicated if it rains. Nevertheless, in past World Championships, Sagan has rarely been late due to lack of scouting.

"We didn't scout. I didn't have time. I decided to stay home like I always do," Sagan said at a press conference a short time ago. 'It was the same before Doha and Bergen. ...... Richmond was a little different because it was in the United States. I don't think it makes sense to recondition in traffic and rain. The race has seven laps. We will eventually find out if the race will split before the circuit or at the circuit.

Sagan never likes to say what he expects the race to be like, but since he had not studied the course, there was even less reason to make a prediction.

"I'm not afraid. What happens happens. Everyone already knows the rivals, the big names, the big nations. They have to seize the opportunity to control the race and we will start that way.

"The big sprint is just one option. There are a hundred scenarios tomorrow, but it's better to be in the moment and not think about anything. If you design the whole race today, you don't have to race tomorrow."

One factor that will certainly affect the development of the race is the weather, with heavy rain expected throughout Sunday. This rain has already drenched the U23 men's time trial and caused several crashes. Sunday's course (especially the Harrogate circuit) will be technical and the slippery surface will make the corners treacherous.

"It's definitely going to be a problem for someone," Sagan said of the wet conditions. It's not my kind of weather, but I can survive. It's the same for everybody. I'm not worried."

Sagan enters the World Championship without the great performances he had before winning three titles. Early in the season, he was struck by a stomach virus and fell well short of his personal best in the spring classics. He won a stage at the Tour de France and took the green jersey for a record seventh time, but only won four races, his lowest total since turning pro in 2010.

After a post-Tour rest, Sagan returned to racing in the past month with five one-day races, including Canada's Quebec and Montreal GPs, key benchmarks before the World Championships. He was second in Quebec, behind Michael Matthews, and 18th in Montreal.

"I feel good and healthy," Sagan said, before being told that he looked thinner than usual. When he said, "I don't use a scale, so I don't know," he got a big laugh from the sponsors and federation representatives in the back of the hall.

"I prepared well. I did the best I could do. We'll see what happens tomorrow. What matters is the result."

Sagan spoke in his familiar tone of voice as he looked to win his fourth title: "History will certainly be special. It's not for anyone. I'm still going to ride my bike."