Peter Sagan: I need some improvement before the Tour de France

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Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) says he still has some way to go to reach the form he needs ahead of next month's Tour de France. Following the Tour de Suisse, where he won a stage and took the points jersey, Sagan said that he was not yet in top shape for the Grand Tour.

Sagan will be looking for a record-equalling sixth points classification victory this summer to bring him level with Erik Zabel. The three-time world champion looked set to do that last season but was disqualified on stage 4 after he was deemed to have caused Mark Cavendish to crash in the sprint finish.

"I have a lot of hard work to do and I hope my legs are not at the top, because I need some improvement before the Tour de France," Sagan said after the final stage, according to Slovakian website aktuality.sk.

Sagan came into the Tour de Suisse after a month-long break from racing following the Tour of California, after which he spent time at altitude.

Following a fourth place in the team time trial, Sagan went on to win stage 2 ahead of Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors), a record-extending 16th win at the Swiss race. While Sagan was unable to add to the tally over the remaining week, the Slovakian went out swinging with an aggressive approach to the stages. He would take three more top-three finishes, which proved enough for him to seal his seventh win in that particular competition.

Sagan will now turn his focus to the Slovakian national championships this weekend, which he won five times in a row between 2011-2015, before the Tour de France begins in Noirmoutier-en-l'Île on July 7.

"It's good to finish the Tour de Suisse with two records - seven times winner of the points leader jersey and a total of 16 stage victories," Sagan wrote on his own Facebook page.

"This year's edition was probably one of the best, with an excellent organization, lots of spectators in every city and nice weather. It's good to see this race growing and stepping up on all levels. As for me, racing continues with the Slovak National Championship next weekend and then, of course, Le Tour de France."