Peter Sagan pivots to Tour de France after Paris-Roubaix crash

Peter Sagan returned home following a heavy crash Sunday that saw him leave his final edition of Paris-Roubaix with a concussion.

The 2018 Paris-Roubaix winner posted a photo on social media thanking the hospital staff that cared for him following the crash.

“It wasn’t the farewell I would have liked at Paris-Roubaix but such incidents form part of the races,” Sagan wrote. “I’d like to express my gratitude for all the support and well wishes that everybody sent my way, they mean a lot to me.

“Tomorrow, I’ll be back home and after some rest, I will be back shortly on my bike to train for the upcoming races. See you soon on the road.”

Also read:

• Paris-Roubaix’s greatest hits: From Peter Sagan and Tom Boonen to stale croissants and beyond
• Peter Sagan bows out of his final Tour of Flanders in crash
• Disaster strikes in Sagan’s final Roubaix

Sagan crashed heavily on a sector of cobbles at about 150km to go.

The three-time world champion tumbled into ditch on the left side of the road when a half-dozen riders came crashing down in the front of the peloton. He was soon back to his feet, but looked dazed and appeared to have a cut on his head.

He was transported to a hospital in Cambrai and diagnosed with a concussion. TotalEnergies later stated after the race “the results of the additional examinations taken at the hospital are reassuring.”

Sagan’s crash marked an anticlimactic end to his final spring classics campaign.

The 33-year-old is racing in his final season, and was unable to show off his best form that once made him one of the most dangerous riders in the pavé nearly a decade ago.

Sagan crashed out of both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, and did not finish E3 Saxo Classic, three races he won across the arc of his prolific career.

The popular rider at TotalEnergies was 83rd at Gent-Wevelgem, 44th at Milan-San Remo,  104th at Strade Bianche, and 117th at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. His 33rd at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne was his best in his final romp across the classics.

Sagan will return to his home base in Monaco to fully recover and will return to training once he’s cleared by doctors.