Serge Pauwels praises Matej Mohoric for his honesty: “His interview really comes very close to what a rider feels day in and day out"
Cycling
After his breakaway victory in a photo finish ahead of Kasper Asgreen on stage 19 of the 2023 Tour de France, Matej Mohoric gave an open and honest interview that has drawn plaudits across the cycling world, including from Sporza's Serge Pauwels.
“He summed it up very nicely. His interview really comes very close to what a rider feels day in and day out," says Pauwels to Sporza as part of their coverage of the Tour de France. “The level is so high and everyone wants to fight hard for that stage victory, because that means so much in a career. The fight from the start is so brutal. Then the best riders come forward and the race starts again."
"It doesn't stop and in the final there are new attacks and you have to go through that pain threshold again. It's always a mental fight and today it paid off for Mohoric," he continues. “The days are ticking away, every night you're late in bed and you're tired. The next day you're back at the start and it's that same fight again. You have to recharge every time. That is what makes the sport so brutally hard.”
The thing that most impressed Pauwels was the honesty of Mohoric in admitting his self-doubt, something that everyone has but most try to hide. "He really expressed the doubt that he sometimes has the feeling that he doesn't belong here," says Pauwels. "That's very normal. Bradley Wiggins said that afterwards. Everyone looked at him as the one who had won the Tour and been an Olympic champion, but deep down he was also a doubter and not sure if he could do it."
"That is very recognizable. I have never reached the level of someone like Mohoric, but every time you are at the starting line and you are almost muttering prayers. Hopefully it will work today, they are not riding too fast," admits Pauwels. "You have to mentally throw yourself into the fight to be part of the breakaway and to take risks, knowing that all the other riders are also planning to do the same."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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🥲 Congrats again @matmohoric, enjoy this one! 🥲 Encore bravo Matej, profites-en bien ! #TDF2023
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