Peter Sagan is back at the Tour of Oman to chase more success in Middle East and open his 2014 account but his main goal for the season remains the classics. The Slovakian will do Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix, but says that Flanders is on the top of his list of priorities.

Peter Sagan has come close to a win in his first two races of 2014, the Tour de San Luis and the Dubai Tour, with a couple of 2nd places already on his palmares. However, the rider who won more races than anyone else in 2013, is still to take his first win of the season.

He will try to do so this week in the Tour of Oman which has been the scene of his first victories for the last two years. In 2012, he won a single stage while he added another two to his palmares 12 months ago. This year there will again be plenty of terrain to suit the versatile Slovakian, with three straightforward sprint stages and a third stage that has the same lumpy finish that allowed him to take a win in 2013.

Sagan doesn't hide that he is in Oman with a desire to open his account.

"It's a good race, this is the third time I've ridden it," he said at the pre-race press conference. "I got sick after the fourth stage last year but it 's always been a good race for me. In the first year I won one stage and then last year I won two stages. I want to try to do something but we'll see this year.

"We'll see what happens. Last year I'd only ridden San Luis before Oman, this year I've also ridden the Dubai Tour. I've had more travel though, perhaps too much, with jet lag. It's been a little difficult.

"I'm the same weight. I've still got some fat and for now I'm not looking at what power I can put out. In training, things are ok. I do the training plans I get sent and I've been at a training camp. But the important thing is what I do in the races, in the big races: My objectives are after Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo. Not now."

Sagan may be one of the most successful riders in recent years but he still hasn't won a monument. Last year he came close twice when he finished 2nd in both Milan-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders and those two races will again be two of his major objectives.

This year he will do more races on the cobbles as he has added the Paris-Roubaix to his schedule while he may also return to the Amstel Gold Race where he finished 3rd in 2012, before ending his spring season. On the cobbles, however, he will have more competition than he has had in the past, with Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen both expected to be back after both have missed out during the last two seasons.

"I've never thought about racing against them both at the same time. Maybe it's better for me!

"Fabian and Tom have won some Classics. They're very strong riders and they're suited to the Classics, for them, it's like racing at home. I just want to do well in the Classics and other races. But without stress.

"We can speak about the Classics for four hours but then on the day things are very different. I think of stuff like that in the race, not now. I think we already spoken too much about last year's Milan-San Remo. And there's still a long time to this year's Classics."

Sagan is eager to get a big classic on his palmares but there is one race that he would love to win more dearly than anyone else.

"Flanders would be good but it'll be hard," he said. "I like it. It's very famous and important, it's a hard. It's nice. Paris-Roubaix too but that's a little bit different."

You can read our preview of the Tour of Oman here.