Matej Mohorič exclusive interview for L'Etape Slovenia by Tour de France cyclists

Firmness, perseverance, and confidence

(1) Young cyclists really enjoy in your company also because you are so approachable, always smiling, and ready to chat with anyone. They were so thrilled to get a chance to hang with you on Saturday’s ride, so what wisdom for life would you share with them?

I always tell kids to find something that makes them happy, so that they can create their own dreams and set goals that they want to achieve. With self-confidence, hard work, and dedication we grow and become better and better. Instead of the immediate result it is better to focus on our own progress in the long run. The most important of all is to know how to find happiness in the little things.

(2) How do you raise your family in a cycling sense?

Willingly or unwillingly my children are in contact with the cycling and cycling world a lot. They don't accompany me at the races because they require a whole person, and I wouldn't be able to give the children the attention they need. But when I'm with them we mostly use a bicycle as a mean of transportation. To me a bicycle is the best mobility alternative among means of transport for every day’s errands or going to the children's playground. Children also enjoy it more; the routes are more interesting and more spontaneous. Sometimes we find something new along the way and never reach our destination, sometimes we meet some of our friends on the way and change our plans.

(3) Always in a good mood - are you ever tired? How do you "recharge your batteries"?

Of course, there are days when I'm tired. Sometimes physically, after strenuous competitions, sometimes fatigue comes from traveling, and sometimes from numerous obligations. I also try to anticipate in advance as much as possible the time for rest when I can sort out my thoughts and emotions and gather new strength for new challenges. Since I mostly live out of a suitcase during the year, I recharge my batteries at home in the arms of my children.

(4) Your recipe for fast and effective regeneration after hard races, trainings?

Above all, quality food of local origin is important. Second in line is quality sleep and rest. It is also important for me to take care of my body regularly such as massages and physiotherapy to eliminate the potential problems even before any small inflammation or muscle irregularity could worsen unpleasantly.

(5) The participants of the Sunday Ride/Race of the 2nd edition of L’Etape Slovenia were most impressed by the atmosphere in your hometown Podblica. It seems that the people of the small place lives very connected and that everyone breathes for cycling thanks to you.

I started cycling by following the example of the other boys from the village who had joined the cycling club at the time. Since then, the locals have been cheering the cycling and looking forward to the successes. When the L'Etape route passes through the place on Sunday everyone really comes to the side of the road and organize a real party. The fan atmosphere can really be compared to that of the Tour de France!

(6) Podblica appears to the visitor as an idyllic village nestled under Jelovica with wonderful views of the valley and the hilly world of Mohor. Maybe it wasn't always so romantic for you - always upwards to the same slope?

I am still overwhelmed by the beauty of the nature every time I return to my hometown. I grew up on these meadows and in these forests, they will always remain in my heart. I had a very nice childhood; I have good memories. I spent most of my time outside, working on the farm and especially playing with other peers from the village. Even when I started cycling the slope remained close to my heart. The climb to Jamnik is still my favourite.

(7) Did you have many peers to play with?

Yes, we were quite a colourful fellowship. The village is small, but in my childhood, there were quite a lot of us, we hung out and played a lot. We did everything we could, played football and basketball, roller hockey, chased each other through the woods on bikes, walked together to Bela peč (viewpoint at Jelovica just above the village), skied in winter, etc. I have the best memories of the game of cops and robbers, which we used to play on birthdays, and which lasted the whole afternoon. We split into two groups, the first group went ahead and looked for a hiding place in the surrounding meadows or in the forest, leaving traces behind. The second group had the task of finding them. When they found them, we then split up among ourselves.

(8) As a budding cyclist you probably cycled on your own to the trainings (10 km each way) from very early on and in any weather. Did this represent a challenge or an incentive for you - to train more than the others with rides to and returns from trainings?

Most of the boys who trained in the same group at that time lived somewhere around Kranj. So, we all had a few extra kilometres before and after trainings. Of course, those of us from Podblica had a bit more of a climb than the other who lived on the plain. This has never been an obstacle to me, I have always loved spending time on my bike. Especially in company, the kilometres often went by too quickly, and after training I could hardly wait for the next one.

(9) How did you get used to the "flat" life in Šenčur? Do you miss the hilly landscape of Podblica or do you get enough of it through your trainings?

I spend most of the year around the world, preparing and competing. I have been living abroad for almost ten years now. I have a home on the Côte d'Azur and the terrain there is also very varied and there is no shortage of slopes for training. My children do live in Šenčur and when I visit them during the summer, I start my training from there. I still prefer to ride my bike towards my hometown, towards Podblica and Jamnik. Probably because I am less often in Slovenia, and I miss these roads that I used to ride every day as a child.

(10) If you were to compare your first road bike with your current one - what is the most noticeable (technological) change? And - if - how does this affect riding technique?

Technology has advanced a lot. My current bike is a bit lighter than the ones we raced 15 years ago, and above all, the bikes are much faster now. Aerodynamics contribute to this as well as a lot of progress in tires and rolling resistance. Consequently, the speeds are now much higher and driving technique, position in the group and tactical decisions are even more important in the races.

(11) You have always been considered a very studious cyclist who has the laws of physics in his little finger. When you observe and hang out with amateur cyclists what advice would you give them in terms of riding technique: posture, gear ratios and gear selection / to ride on higher cadence or on power?

Each individual cycles for different reasons and has different goals. Everyone in common is the fact that to enjoy riding a bike you must first feel as comfortable as possible on it. The position i.e. the height and length of the handlebars and the position of the seat must be set in such a way that we can sit on the bike and push the pedals relaxed and not in a forced position. Only when we are comfortable, we can start changing details from this position to improve aerodynamics or pedalling efficiency and thereby become faster. Gear ratios are also very important. Nowadays it is possible to install easier gear ratios on a road bike which allow us to turn the pedal even on steep slopes with a comfortable cadence, which is somewhere between 80 and 105 revolutions per minute.

(12) You recently swept the competition and became the world champion on gravel at the 2nd WC in Veneto, proving your versatility and technical perfection on just about any surface. Congratulations. How do you feel about the key difference in racing on a road bike and gravel?

Racing on gravel is much more demanding, the physical effort is more difficult than in the toughest one-day races in road cycling. There is less tactics because the slipstream is significantly less effective or not at all. Competitors must repair any bike breakdowns by themselves, so the racing is more varied than on the road where the escort vehicles drive behind the group all the time, and in the event of a breakdown, they provide a replacement bike in a very short time. Also, the format of the gravel race itself is interesting because immediately after the elite category there is a start for everyone who does not have a competition license and amateurs who competes in age groups, and they all ride the same route. It is an amazing experience for these participants as well.

(13) What kind of a future do you predict for this format of competitions and what kind of a future for recreational cycling?

The gravel cycling is increasingly popular among recreational cyclists. These bikes are still fast on roads and handle unpaved roads without any problems. This allows us to take the route on roads with less traffic and get away from the cities into the nature. The competitions are also attractive and with the advancement of technology it is also possible to broadcast the race directly from the terrain. There is never a shortage of action at the race, and it is interesting from the start to the finish, maybe the races are even more interesting than the ones on the road. In my opinion, due to history and tradition, road cycling will always remain the most popular, and this format will certainly become more and more important due to the interest of outfitters and the market.

(14) Your advice to a recreational cyclist when buying a new bike - perhaps what questions should be honestly answered before buying?

The most important thing is to enjoy the bike. For this, the correct size of the frame and especially the correctly adjusted position on the bike are primarily important. It is true that more expensive bikes generally ride nicer and better. Nevertheless, even the entry-level models are enough for most beginners and, as a rule, they get addicted very quickly and, as a result, quickly lead to the replacement of entry-level models for more expensive and better ones. In any case, it is important to have suitable gear ratios on a bicycle for its capacity, especially if we live in a mountainous world with many climbs such as Slovenia.

(15) We in the L'Etape Slovenia team are very proud that you are our ambassador, and we are already looking forward to the 2-day cycling festival in 2024. In a survey among participants of this year edition of Ride and Race they highlighted three key satisfactory elements: cycling in your company, the atmosphere in Podblica, and the road closure. Do you have any suggestions as to what else could enhance the authentic Tour de France experience?

I think L'Etape recreate a real authentic Tour de France experience. The route is also excellent, maybe even more demanding than most of the real stages of the Tour de France. There are always details that the organizer improves year after year and make the event even more attractive and the experience even better.

(16) If we look back to your epic victory at the 19th stage of the Tour de France 2023 and your extremely emotionally interview at the finish, which - by the way - is the most viewed content on the Tour de France digital channels. What do you think separates the winner from the runner-up that makes that crucial millimetre difference in photo finish?

I think in the end the decisive distinction is desire and determination. Firmness, perseverance, and confidence often tip the scales away from a grain of doubt and insecurity, if I am really the one who can achieve such a goal.