“The gravel here is much more loose" - Matej Mohoric shocked by 'peanut butter mud' at Unbound Gravel

After taking the title at the Gravel World Championship in 2023, Bahrain - Victorious' Matej Mohoric will show off his Rainbow Jersey this weekend as he makes his debut at Unbound Gravel in the United States of America.

“Very excited to be here and also very surprised. We did the last part of the course today, which I’m told is the easiest, and it was not quite what we expected,” previews the Slovenian in conversation with Unbound Gravel’s official Instagram account ahead of his debut. There is one thing Mohoric has noticed that is a vast difference in the Unbound Gravel as compared to the European gravel he is more used to competing on nearer to home.

“The gravel here is much more loose and slower. We ordered bigger tyres already,” the 29-year-old world champion explains, clearly having to adapt to the situation but nevertheless confident of being able to still showcase himself against some of the stars of the discipline. “I think we are pretty well prepared. I feel good physically but it is going to be a very long race.”

In a post to his own official Instagram account, Mohoric again paid note to the difficulty of the conditions at Unbound Gravel. "Situation in Kansas is all under control, feeling energised and ready for tomorrow’s adventure Unbound Gravel with Team Bahrain - Victorious," writes the three-time Tour de France stage winner. "Nice to meet you, peanut butter mud!"

Alongside Mohoric competing on the gravel will be notable names such as Greg van Avermaet, Niels Zonneveld, Laurens ten Dam, Jan Bakelants and many more.