Peter Sagan is world champion and one of the best one-day riders in the world. However, he chose to skip the Rio road race because he deemed it too hilly for him, instead preferring to take his chances in mountain biking. "Technically, I am not bad. I am not here to lose. Can I win? If I lose, I am not disappointed. If I win, it's so good."

"The decision to race in mountain bike was made in January. It’s all in the past. I am here to focus on mountain bike", he told during a press conference. "I raced the road race in London, and I already wanted to race mountain bike there, but it was not possible. For sure, it’s a big dream for me. I have already won some big things on the road, already the road race world championship. What can I do now? Olympic Games. We will see. Maybe I have another Olympic road race in my future."

"The tactics I will decide during the race. You can lose the race in the start, but it could be good. Maybe if I am lucky, and I can go to the front pretty fast. Maybe I will waste too much energy. The Tour de France has nothing to do with mountain biking. For sure, the road race, it’s a completely different effort. You cannot compare it to time trial. It’s more like cyclocross. Mountain bike is something different. I did my best in training. I will do my best Sunday. No one knows what the hell to expect. Maybe it’s more funny."

"I have not raced mountain bike in seven years. A lot of things have changed. I'm here for more personal (reasons). I want to try. I will give the maximum for sure."

The Tinkoff rider, who will join Bora-Hansgrohe in 2017, also reflected on the Olympic road race.

"I'm surprised in the victory of Greg Van Avermaet, but the road race in the Olympics is a strange race. There is not a strong field, it depends on the legs, it depends on the luck. He was also a bit lucky due to the crash involving the others, but the Olympic gold medal is for all of life."