'The hardest part was fame' - Peter Sagan reflects on navigating the spotlight

Having developed a reputation for his flamboyant style and the swagger in which he carried himself on a bike, along with his talent and skills, Sagan amassed 121 professional victories, including twelve stage wins and seven green jerseys at the Tour de France. Naturally, he garnered a lot of attention throughout his career, something the Slovakian acknowledged the difficulty of in a recent interview with Topcycling.

“For me, the hardest part was fame. I think it's complicated for anyone who suddenly becomes famous,” said Sagan to Topcycling when asked what the toughest aspect of his career was. “Of course, being famous also brought me advantages and opportunities. It's something that will stay with me forever. Throughout my career, I've learned to deal with it, but I confess it wasn't easy,” said Sagan.

Sagan projected a rockstar personality on and off the bike during his racing days, and it’s something that the Slovakian has maintained into retirement with a busy lifestyle.

"I work with my sponsors, like Specialized, 100%, Sportful, Monster, My Whoosh, and also Pierre Baguette. My schedule depends on them. I do a lot of events, grand fondos, and presentations, which keep me busy and still connected to cycling," he explained.

Despite the busy nature of post-retirement for Sagan, the former Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix winner described his lifestyle as “a kind of permanent vacation,” which recently involved earlier in 2025, the 35 year old participating on the Slovakian reality TV competition, ‘Let’s Dance’, a spin-off to shows like Strictly Come Dancing in the UK and Dancing with the Stars.

"This year was special because I spent a lot of time on this dance program, but I view life as a kind of permanent vacation. These days, if I don't have to think about performance, training, and racing, then every day is a good day," he laughed.

Sagan also shared insights about his experience during cycling's transition to more data-driven training methods. He identified 2014-2015 as a turning point when the UCI required teams to employ multiple coaches.

"Before, I had a training plan, but I also trained based on my feelings, but suddenly I had coaches saying, 'You'll be a better climber, but you'll maintain your sprint power.' Even though I was already a winning cyclist at the time, I thought, 'Okay, let's try.' But it didn't work out; 2014 was my worst season," Sagan recalled.

“In 2015, when I arrived at Tinkoff, the story continued with coach Bobby Julich, who had the same theories, but they weren't working, and things went downhill when he refused to take responsibility," said Sagan.

"After four months at Tinkoff, when I wasn't winning, he said I was burnt out, that I was finished, and that I would never win anything again. I told him: you know what? I'll go my own way, you go yours. I don't want to see you again."

His fortunes changed after partnering with coach Patxi Vila. "Then, everything changed with Patxi Vila, a more human coach, who had been a cyclist and better understood the needs of each athlete. With him, I found balance. We went back to working based on the plan but also on what I felt, not like a machine, and I started winning again."

It is a reminder that Sagan was never a rider to be programmed, but one whose unique character thrived on instinct and freedom.