Peter Sagan has been hit with a further bout if illness
and has been forced to abandon Tirreno Adriatico. The three-time world champion
is understood to be suffering from a fever and stomach bug and was reportedly
throwing up on the TotalEnergies team bus on the way to the stage start today.
In January Sagan contracted Covid-19, his second bout of
the virus, and saw his season preparations derailed for a period. Just last
weekend reports emerged in the Italian media that Sagan was suffering from a fever and sore throat.
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However, after undergoing
testing for Covid-19 it was found he did not have the virus and he decided he would
start Tirreno Adriatico anyway in a bid to build form for the upcoming
classics, including Milan-Sanremo.
It is unclear if his latest illness is effectively the lingering effects of the symptoms of recent days or something new. While it was felt he would not be able to perform well in Italy this week, he rode strongly in the lively bunch sprint that settled stage 2 at Tirreno Adriatico yesterday.
He was to the fore in a technical run-in to the finish and while he faded a little in the last 100 metres, and was passed by several riders, he still took 4th place on a stage won by Tim Merlier (Alpecin Fenix).
