According to reports in the Slovenian press, Matej Mohoric has been forced to rule himself out of contention from the 2024 World Championships road race due to injury. The Bahrain - Victorious rider crashed in the recon of a gravel race in Girona last week and has seemingly failed to recover in time.
"I have been in contact with Matej all the time since the fall. Until today, we were waiting for a final decision, when Matej checked the state of the injury in training. After consultation with Krištof Knap, who is his club and national team doctor, we made the decision that Matej will not participate in the road race on Sunday," national team selector Uroš Murn says to RTV Slovenia. "The condition of the injured palm, which also has a few stitches, is not yet such that Matej could perform undisturbed on Sunday. His replacement is Matic Žumer, who is already coming to Zurich tomorrow."
With Mohoric removed, the look of the Slovenian team for the 2024 men's elite World Championships road race in Switzerland is definitely weakened. Primoz Roglic, Tadej Pogacar, Jan Tratnik, Luka Mezgec, Domen Novak, Matevz Govekar, Jaka Primožič and Matic Žumer, now compile the lineup.
Pogacar and Roglic undoubtedly remain a more than formidable duo in the road race though, and if comments made by Mohoric earlier this week are to be believed, the team are set to be working in support of Pogacar's leadership.
"With Tadej Pogacar in Zürich, we are going there with one clear objective. I will do my best to do my part. I think Tadej deserves this," Mohoric told Cycling News before his withdrawal had been reported. "I think there might be a point in the future when he can do the same for another rider from the national team, so I think it's important that we stick together and try to win the World Championships, which has never happened before for Slovenia."
Matej Mohoric déclare forfait pour la course en ligne des Mondiaux selon la presse slovène. Il s'est blessé lors d'un entraînement en gravel la semaine dernière. Matic Zumer devrait le remplacer pour accompagner Pogacar, Roglic, Tratnik, Novak, Mezgec et Govekar. #Zurich2024
