Matej Mohoric not only stole the show with his stage victory in the Tour de France stage to Poligny. He perhaps made an even greater impression in the flash interview immediately after the finish. In an interview for RIDE magazine, Mohoric returns to the day and the response his words have had in (not just) the cycling world.
"I was touched by the fact that people were inspired by the interview. This is what sports is about. What we do is motivate people and instill emotions. They help to set goals for themselves. So that they too try to make their dreams come true. If I have been able to convey that inspiration to some people through this interview, it makes me a happier person."
Mohoric has received numerous comments from other riders. They recognized themselves in his words. The feeling that you are constantly struggling with the thought of whether you are worthy of riding in the professional peloton was particularly recognizable. "Football players always live within their club. They play against an opponent for an hour and a half and then return to the cocoon of their club.”
"We cyclists are always on the road together. They spend hours together in the peloton during races. As a result, the mutual connection is greater. Especially if you undergo all the hardships together for three weeks, for example in a Tour de France. There is great mutual respect. You secretly cheer when someone else wins, but you also feel the pain and sadness when something happens to someone else. I am now entering my eleventh year as a professional. I have experienced all the emotions as a cyclist myself. It is precisely thanks to those experiences that I know how special it is to be successful in a major competition, but also how hard you have to work and fight for this."