Interview with Peter Sagan after the World Championships in Les Gets: 5 questions for the racing bike superstar
EMTB
· 18.11.2022
The sport of e-MTB has not yet attracted the attention that the big downhill or cross-country races for non-motorised bikes have. But the wind is changing - as some of the riders at the World Championships in Les Gets told us. However, it is also clear that e-bikes and, above all, the competition routes place completely different demands on the athletes. Peter Sagan also felt this in Les Gets.
EMTB: Was your start in Les Gets a PR manoeuvre, or were there real ambitions behind it?
Peter Sagan: I think it's good to push E-MTB races more. For me, I see the start in Les Gets as a welcome change, but also as an experiment. After my Junior World Cross Country Championship title in 2008, it feels good to be competing in a bike world championship again.
In the end, you ended up in the midfield. How do you rate the level of the world's top e-MTB riders?
That's damn high. I expected it to be tough, but so tough ... boah! The uphill obstacles were crazy. There was barely a second to take a deep breath. My maximum heart rate was 190 beats per minute. In road races, I get a maximum of 180 beats.
What are the differences in the load?
These are two completely different sports, just like Formula 1 and rally driving. Road racing requires a relatively consistent level of endurance over five to six hours. In E-MTB races, you ride at the limit for an hour and have to remain fully focussed at all times due to the terrain. Then there's the heavy bike, which is extremely draining.
Would you ride the E-MTB course of the World Championships on a mountain bike without a motor?
Not a chance, these climbs and the huge hurdles demand everything from the rider, even with an e-drive. To ride at the front as an e-biker, you need to be an excellent technician who can really bite.
Will we see you more often at E-MTB races in the future?
Unfortunately, I'm a bit heavy. Some of the competitors here are 15 kilograms lighter, which makes a significant difference on the climbs. But if there's ever an open class with more powerful drives, I'll be there (laughs).
