Matej Mohoric: Junior & U-23 world champ

[montani3semper]

Great signing by Cannondale. A succesful team is to be built from the grassroots, not signing over-the-hill expensive have been. Maybe letting Nibali go was a mistake, but not making a deal with Tinkoff will certainly pay off in the short run.

 

[coimbrawu]

Mohoric has an incredible 2012 season, but his first year in U23 is a little disappointed than some people expected without the U23 WCRR champion.

He didn't deliver many results in the early 2013. He completed in Tour of Qinghai Lake at high altitude and get bunch of around 20 places in every stage, including a brave breakaway in the queen stage against those adult guys, but got caught about 3km to go. This is the best performance in the early season.

Then he goes to Tour de l'Avenir, but played badly in stage 4, loses 12 min to the stage winner Ruben Fernandez. He played better in the latter part, tried to breakaway and got two 2nd places in stage 6 and stage 7, lost to Simon Yates and Alaphillipe.

Then he went to Florence, first for U23 WCTT, but he just got 55th place, lost 6 min to Damien Howson. Then it is U23 WCRR we all know.
So the U23 WCRR is the only win he got in 2014.


His 2012 is incredible. Winner of Giro della Lunigiana, Giro di Basilicata, Junior WCRR and second place in Junior WCTT. But when you watch his video in Giro della Lunigiana, you will see Herklotz climbs better than him. In fact, Herklotz has a better 2013 season than Mohoric.

So Mohoric can climb, ITT looks good although not decent in U23 WCTT, he can breakaway and looks fast. But how to develop in the pro ranks is the big question. At the moment, he is like his new teammate next season: Moreno Moser

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

mohoric is definitelky not natural climber or itt rider. I don't think he will become any force in gt's therefore. but he can become a monster in classics, his downhil skills are something I've never seen before, maybe on par with savoldelli in actual skill

 

[movingtarget]

He obviously has a big future. Great signing for Cannondale.

 

[theyoungest]

I've only seen him at the Worlds, and where he mainly won it was on the descents, where he seems to be absolutely amazing. He'll make a nice duo with Sagan in that respect.

 

[trevim]

Cannondale can use a proper rider for the future. Is he a GT prospect or more of a hilly classics rider?

 

[Pippo_San]

Cannondale can use a proper rider for the future. Is he a GT prospect or more of a hilly classics rider?

I believe it's way too soon to say. As it stands he looks a great classics rider, but who knows, give him a break already he's way too young.

As a GT prospect, the next big thing is Villella to me.

 

[greenedge]

Mohoric has an incredible 2012 season, but his first year in U23 is a little disappointed than some people expected without the U23 WCRR champion.

So Mohoric can climb, ITT looks good although not decent in U23 WCTT, he can breakaway and looks fast. But how to develop in the pro ranks is the big question. At the moment, he is like his new teammate next season: Moreno Moser

Wasn't he injured this year?
Simple answer to his development- he gains experience, matures...
Moser this year won SB and came 3rd on Alpe D Huez- pretty good Sure he did not continue as great as we all expected but still- cut him some slack.

 

[fauniera]

As a GT prospect, the next big thing is Villella to me.

Possibly, but i think the Ardennes could be more his thing. Formolo looks the better prospect on long climbs.

 

[Pippo_San]

Possibly, but i think the Ardennes could be more his thing. Formolo looks the better prospect on long climbs.

I'm not really disagreeing there, but what makes you believe more in Formolo than Villella?
They both look like interesting GT prospects, yet Villella won me as the real deal with his 2013.

 

[Gloin22]

I'm not really disagreeing there, but what makes you believe more in Formolo than Villella?
They both look like interesting GT prospects, yet Villella won me as the real deal with his 2013.

If we are talking about Italian prospects, biggest results came from Bongiorno I believe, only one year old older than Villella, some amazing results from him.

Also Ziollili has been amazing.

 

[coimbrawu]

Wasn't he injured this year?
Simple answer to his development- he gains experience, matures...
Moser this year won SB and came 3rd on Alpe D Huez- pretty good Sure he did not continue as great as we all expected but still- cut him some slack.

really? I didn't hear anything for his injury.
I compare him to Moser just because they are smart, know how to attack and move correctly, this is important for one day races. You can learn how to climb, improve your TT, but this kind of 'smart' is hard to learn. However, it is risky to turn pro after just spent one year in U23 rank

Yes, it is still long way that we learn what kind of rider he will become

 

[Lequack]

I think by now he deserves his own thread, I'm just amazed that he's still so young, it seems like he's been a pro now for so long.
Anways good ride today at the Giro, almost winning another stage.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re:

mohoric is definitelky not natural climber or itt rider. I don't think he will become any force in gt's therefore. but he can become a monster in classics, his downhil skills are something I've never seen before, maybe on par with savoldelli in actual skill

he, ryo's word still true to the day

 

[GuyIncognito]

Not difficult considering the first thing Mohoric said to the press after turning pro was that he can't tt or sprint and isn't the best climber

 

[Red Rick]

The least he will be is a monster escape artist, and that's no mean feat.

 

[GuyIncognito]

The heir to Pascal Richard, then. Complete with the same downhill skills

 

[Forever The Best]

Re:

The heir to Pascal Richard, then. Complete with the same downhill skills

Doesn't Richard have Kom jersey and mountain stage wins at Giro? He also has a hilly stage at Tour.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Re: Re:

The heir to Pascal Richard, then. Complete with the same downhill skills

Doesn't Richard have Kom jersey and mountain stage wins at Giro? He also has a hilly stage at Tour.

Yes, and LBL. But all from breakaways. And all those were in his peak climbing year in his 30s. It took years to get there. Mohoric could get to that level of climbing, eventually. He's not all that far already, judging by the Gran Sasso stage.

 

[Forever The Best]

Re: Re:

The heir to Pascal Richard, then. Complete with the same downhill skills

Doesn't Richard have Kom jersey and mountain stage wins at Giro? He also has a hilly stage at Tour.

Yes, and LBL. But all from breakaways. And all those were in his peak climbing year in his 30s. It took years to get there. Mohoric could get to that level of climbing, eventually. He's not all that far already, judging by the Gran Sasso stage.

Yeah, I knew they were from breakaways. But I doubt Mohoric will be that good of a climber, it would be a waste of the talent imo. Also I think Mohoric was dropped convincingly on Gran Sasso.
How were the routes on Richard's Romandie and Suisse wins and how did he win them?

 

[johnymax]

Mohorič after the stage:
Betancur didn't take any pulls in the final. If I take him to the line he would have easily won the sprint from my slipstream. That's why I stopped pulling. Only winning counts in cycling. I didn't want to hand him the win. If we both cooperated and then went one on one in a sprint like it usually happens, it'd be OK. But in this situation I was happy with the group behind catching us.

What a boss. He was also saying something to Betancur when they were crossing the line and he even gave him two sarcastic pats on the back haha

He is such an entertaining rider. His descending and bike handling skills are phenomenal. Yes he is not the best climber and the most explosive rider but with his motor, endurance and an attacking style, I have a hard time not seeing him in the mix of the biggest one day races for the future. As it's been mentioned, is hard to believe he's still only 23yo. It feels like he's been in WT since forever.

 

[JoeD1997]

Re:

As it's been mentioned, is hard to believe he's still only 23yo. It feels like he's been in WT since forever.

He almost has been, this is already his fifth season. Love watching this guy, phenomenal descender. A classic jack of all trades, not a TT guy but can hold off a bunch (see his Vuelta stage win) and can be up there in sprints, either small groups (see his win a few days ago) and in larger groups (always up there in Catalunya).

Great to see him finally find his feet as a pro these last few seasons, he would have been too great a talent to go to waste!

 

[RedheadDane]

Re:

As it's been mentioned, is hard to believe he's still only 23yo. It feels like he's been in WT since forever.

That weird exploding noise you just heard? That was my mind being blown by that fact... :surprised:

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

One of those riders who is pure entertainment.

 

[WheelofGear]

And as I stated before, Mohorič is one of the few who can make 3% gradients entertaining. He is not really good on steep hills, but he is a nightmare for the lead-out trains on those traditionally sprinter-friendly climbs. Add descending skills and you have a danger who can destroy any sprinter's chances of a stage win.