Matej Mohoric looks forward to Grand Départ in Florence: "It’s going to be full-on racing from the first two days"

So far, Matej Mohoric has kept a rather low profile in the first half of this season. Not to say his 5th place at Strade Bianche and 6th at Milano-Sanremo don't have a value, but compared to past years, we might have expected a bit more from the 29-year-old. But Tour de France is always a race that sees the Bahrain - Victorious rider step up to a new level and so we can only look forward to another breakaway masterclass from the three-time stage winner.

"Personally, I think the start in Florence is something we’ve not seen before. It kicks off with a mountain stage, and the roads are quite nervous, being twisty and narrow," Mohoric analyzes in press release. But while GC leaders will be put on full alert, the Slovenian is looking forward to seeing chaos from the start. "It’s going to be full-on racing from the first two days. It’s a good thing as we will immediately see who has the legs in the GC, which most likely means there will be less stress as we move into France."

"We’ve got a well-balanced parcours this year," Mohoric praises the organisers. As current Gravel world champion, the Slovenian must have marked out stage 9 with gravel sectors around Troyes, something he quickly confirms: "Personally, the two stages I look forward to the most are the gravel stage and stage 18, which could be a good opportunity for the breakaway. There will be other opportunities across the race as things never go as planned, and we need to embrace those opportunities."

Mohoric has taken the Slovenian time trial title on Thursday, but wasn't able to keep up with UAE Team Emirates' numbers advantage in a road race, settling for third. "Physically, I feel ready and motivated for the Tour. It’s the biggest race of the year, so I will be doing my best to make the most of the opportunity. As far as the team goals, we have a really strong line-up with some guys for the GC, and we will also look to support Phil in the sprint. But honestly, I think any member of this team is capable of winning a stage at this year’s Tour," he sounds optimistic about Bahrain's selection.