For several years Matej Mohoric has been given as one of the best descenders in the peloton over the last few years, however he himself argues there are other riders who master the art even better.
“No, I’m definitely not the best. I think I’m pretty good, but no, I’m not the best, there are others who are better and faster than me," Mohoric said in an interview with CyclingWeekly. “Julian Alaphilippe is pretty good, some sprinters are pretty special, then Tom Pidcock of course, he’s pretty fast," he answers, giving notoriety to the sprinters who often blast down the mountains in order to make it within the time limit of the mountainous races but never feature on the TV cameras.
Like many other things in cycling, it's a skill: "I think you’re born with it or you’re not, you either have it or you don’t, that’s the lack of fear I guess. Then it’s just the practice that makes the difference, especially from a young age and learning from your mistakes."
Inbetween his successes, the Slovenian took advantage of his quality in the downhills. His biggest career win, this year at Milano-Sanremo, was largely due to the risks he took and speed he carried down the technical descent of the Poggio, which allowed him to get a gap that was to never be closed. There were also discussions on his use of a dropper post, more commonly used in mountain biking.
Mohoric revealed that one of his mechanics - Filip Tišma - was the one to come up with the idea and convince the Slovenian to execute it. “He is in charge of research and is a committed mountain biker himself, and knows that the dropper post has an advantage in mountain biking. He was wondering about the advantages on the road and came to me and asked me about the idea. I didn’t know if it would work or not, but I was happy to test it over the winter.”
“Already the first time I used it, I saw a big opportunity. I thought it could make quite a significant difference and be an advantage but wasn’t sure exactly how much. Milano-San Remo seemed like the perfect place to use that advantage because the race can be decided on that final descent.” Sure enough, the Bahrain - Victorious rider flew into his first monument win, one that has marked the season.
Mohoric reveals how there was a lot of planning and thought behind the strategy: “We had thought about using it before, but then we decided to save it for the big one. I love that race and had dreamt of winning it one day, even without a dropper seatpost, so that was just something that could help me. We thought that we would be the only ones using it on that day and it worked.”
“To have a plan come together like this is probably a once in a lifetime experience. I was just amazed, proud and happy for the whole team and everyone around me. More people know you for winning stages at the Tour de France. Although from an athlete's perspective, it’s probably easier to win two stages at the Tour than to win a monument, especially in that way,” he concluded.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
- Good Point, I wonder if he's been testedmhfrvz03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
- this is just stupid. you already have 23%, gravel is over the topabstractengineer03-11-2026
- There was once a time when Lance was supremely popular and he used his artificial "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" persona to lead his mob in going after Greg. There was no one Lance did not abuse in protecting his phony hero image. Lance promoted himself as a divine megastar and he let down millions of cancer victims and gullible devotees who clung far too long to the charade. Lance is the epitome of a corrupt person and because of his power, many around him, including business enterprises, succumbed to the evil. All who got in Armstrong's way were mercilessly attacked by him and his minions. This remarkably continues today with a new generation. LeMond was a number one enemy and paid a huge price. Who do you think slandered who?Yepperoni03-11-2026
- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
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leedorney02-11-2026
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