"The death of Gino Mäder brought us closer together" - Matej Mohoric proud of Bahrain - Victorious' performances in 2023

For Matej Mohoric, 2023 has been an incredible season on the bike. Highlighted by victories at the Tour de France and the Gravel World Championships, there has also however, been some heartbreak off-bike with the tragic loss of a close teammate.

"When I look back on this year, I am most proud of my stage victory in the Tour de France," the Slovenian of Bahrain - Victorious recalled in conversation with In de Leiderstrui. Prior to the race, the team and the whole cycling world were rocked by news of the tragic passing of Gino Mäder following a crash at the Tour de Suisse. "The Tour de France was certainly very successful for us as a team this year. The death of Gino brought us closer together and in a certain way motivated us even more than usual to achieve top results. We increasingly realize that it is becoming more difficult every day to win at the highest level, so more value is attached to every victory."

Looking towards next year, Mohoric is keen to continue his run of positive performances. "I must say that I still have some outstanding bills here and there. At the time of the classics I was in good shape and in top condition. But in the Tour of Flanders I crashed quite hard," he recalls.

"That not only cost me a good result in that race, but also in Paris-Roubaix. With a view to next year, those two competitions are extremely important to me," Mohoric concludes. "Of course I also have many other goals, but those two really stand out in the first months of the season."