This weekend, the Gravel World Championships are scheduled to take place in South Limburg. One of the contenders expected to take the title home is former world champion Matej Mohoric. The Slovenian is eagerly hoping for a good result after what he describes as probably his worst professional season ever, he told WielerFlits.A second place in the second stage and in the general classification of the Tour de la Provence, a third place in the final stage of the Tour de France, and a fifth place in the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec. Those are the most notable results of Matej Mohoric in 2023. For many, it would be a solid season, but not for a rider with his track record.
The 30-year-old Slovenian makes no bones about his dissatisfaction with the season. “In terms of results, it was probably my worst season ever. I started well at the Tour de la Provence and those early races, but then I got sick twice. I probably pushed my body too hard during the winter trying to take an extra step in preparing for the classics. But well, that didn’t really pay off, and what followed was my worst classics campaign so far.”
“After the classics, I tried to pull myself together, take some rest, and restart. There I actually found really good form again. Actually, this year I even had my best form a few times, but something always went seriously wrong,” he explains.
Matej Mohoric rode the World Championships in support of Tadej Pogacar – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
At the Tour, Mohoric showed some of his class again with a third place in the spectacular final stage around Montmartre and through Paris, although his focus was actually on the stage one day earlier. There, bad luck once again threw a wrench in his plans, not for the first time this season. “I had bike problems from the start, so I was very disappointed,” he recounts.
“Luckily, I managed to rally myself for the final stage to achieve a nice result that was good for my confidence, but also for the team,” Mohoric continues. “It’s obviously one of the most important stages of the year, and there were so many spectators lining the roads, so that was something special I will take with me for the rest of my career and beyond.”
In the races that followed, including the ADAC Cyclassics Hamburg and the Renewi Tour, luck was again not on his side, after which a fifth place at the GP Québec was a nice boost. “That’s okay, but it doesn’t make my season a success,” he is clear about.
In 2023, Mohoric won the Gravel World Championships – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
The Gravel World Championships are considered by the former gravel world champion as the last chance to salvage something from the 2023 season. “That is an important goal for me. I’m probably one of the favorites. Maybe not the outright favorite, but I think I can compete for a good result,” he explains.
He adds a caveat straight away: with his first race day on January 25, it’s been a long season. “It’s challenging, but we’ll see. I wish I had more time to focus more on a few specific goals, but unfortunately that was not the case this season.”
An extensive course reconnaissance is also off the table due to the same busy schedule. Three days before the Gravel World Championships, the Bahrain Victorious rider will also contest Gran Piemonte. But he’s not worried about that. “I will have to approach the race more on feel, as I often do,” he concludes.
