Matej Mohoric - "I don’t think i can match Pogacar’s power" ahead of Strade Bianche

When talking about Matej Mohorič, it can be said that he has already won a race that his compatriot Tadej Pogacar still has not added to list of achievements and continues to chase. We are, of course, referring to Milan-Sanremo, the race the Slovenian rider won in 2022.

This year, Matej Mohoric began the season with three top-10 finishes in races leading up to the Spring Classics, than he abandoned Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and finished 27th at Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne during the 'Opening Weekend' of the Spring Classics, and will now head to the white roads of Tuscany.

“It should work. OK, UAE will probably try to adapt and make things difficult from the start, but either way that will allow even more riders to still be involved in the finale,” Mohoric told Cyclingnews.

“So there will be less room for heroics, where the rider in tenth place is ten minutes behind and the race is a bit more open.”

The rider who will begin his road season in Italy will be none other than the current World Champion, Tadej Pogačar, who will defend his title at Strade Bianche, a race he has already won three times. Mohoric, who is wearing the Bahrain jersey for the ninth consecutive year, outlines what the race next saturday could look like.

“Of course, having riders like Pogacar on the start list changes things. I think they [UAE Team Emirates - XRG] will make the race as hard as possible so that he can attack from far out,” he said.

The Bahrain - Victorious rider is aware of the difficulties UAE will impose, of what awaits him, and of the strategy his team will need to adopt

“I don’t think I can match his power, so our strategy is to be present in the fight and try to deliver the best possible result from the group we are in with my teammates. We have a strong team there, it’s not just me.”

The comparison between the opening weekend races and Strade Bianche is inevitable.

“They are very different races. Here it’s more about positioning and I get very nervous. I have a lot of difficulty holding my position because many, many riders are fighting for the same spots,” he said.

“At Strade, it’s much harder on the legs, so the race stretches out more. It’s almost easier for a rider like me to position himself and then stay there.

“When the race stretches out on the gravel sectors, most of the time I feel more comfortable than some other riders. Sometimes that helps me. You can’t really go much faster on the gravel,” he pointed out.

For Mohoric, being well positioned and avoiding unnecessary energy expenditure will be crucial, as he explained.

“You also have to be careful not to overdo it and end up losing positions. Basically, you always need to know your limits.”