A season for professional cyclists these days is more grueling than ever, 10 months spent pushing your body to its absolute limit.
It stands to reason then that with the precious time they have off, it would be spent doing as little as possible, right? Wrong.
In the case of Matej Mohoric, he’s been spending his well-earned off-season running, mountain biking and playing basketball and football – his other passions.
The sporty Slovenian would centre his life around sport if he weren’t a professional cyclist, so he sees no reason to alter his mindset just because his passion is also his profession.
The 23-year-old’s arduous season with UAE Team Emirates began in Dubai in January at the Dubai Tour and took him across Europe before ending at the Tour of Guangxi in China in October.
Even with the month or so riders have off to recover, Mohoric revealed cyclists won’t spend too many days without doing activity as they look to stay sharp and prepare for pre-season – much of which starts in December.
“I’ll kind of rest,” Mohoric – who is switching allegiances to Bahrain Merida next season – tells Sport360 when asked if he is finally looking forward to a break after a tiring campaign on the UCI WorldTour.
“We don’t really take more than a couple of days off doing nothing. It’s easier that way to keep the fitness up and the rhythm going.
“Getting some rest at the end, take a month off, but I’ll do some other sports apart from cycling, and then start with the preparations for the new season.
“I will pick up some running, play some basketball, maybe some soccer and do lots of mountain biking, anything that comes along.
“I’m a sporty person anyway so would be doing a lot even if I wasn’t a professional cyclist. It’s been part of my lifestyle over the years, to do sport. I really like it because it’s my job. But I really enjoy doing sports in general.”
It’s been a cracking campaign for the Kranj native, winning a Grand Tour stage for the first time, claiming victory on Stage 7 at the Vuelta a Espana in August.
He was 30th overall in the Vuelta’s General Classification, out of 158 riders, in a race won by Britain’s Chris Froome. He didn’t fare so well at his other Grand Tour entry, finishing 135th at the 100th Giro d’Italia in May.
But other notable achievements included eighth at February’s Trofeo Laigueglia and victory at the Hong Kong Challenge in October ahead of a field of 93.
He was just a second away from winning Slovenia’s National Championships Road Race in June, finishing third behind Orica-Scott’s Luka Mezgec and Grega Bole of Bahrain Merida.
But as he reflects on a progressive campaign, he knows he’s taken a step forward.
“I think it has been a good year for me and for the team. I won a stage at the Vuelta and that was the highlight of the season,” said the 2012 UCI Junior Road World champion.
“Obviously it’s very nice to win a stage. I’m proud of it and I hope for more similar results in the future.”
Senior colleagues at UAE Team Emirates have enjoyed stellar success this season. South Africa’s Louis Meintjes picked up eighth place overall at the Tour de France for a second year running, while Portugal’s Rui Costa won the Abu Dhabi Tour in its first year as a WorldTour sanctioned race.
I think I’m capable of stepping up to that level,” he added. “I’m still young, only 23. I have plenty of time to develop further. I stepped forward this year and I hope I can pick up more momentum next year.
“I am looking forward to doing more Grand Tours. Maybe not next year but in the future for sure, it is one of my aims.”
With a cyclists’ calendar heavier today than ever, it would be easy to see a drop in performance as a long season weaves its way to a conclusion.
But Mohoric maintained his levels and finished the season superbly. He claimed victory in Hong Kong and was sixth in the GC at his final race of the season, in Guangxi.
“We are very happy with the last race. The season finished on a high and we hope there will be more highs next season,” said the Slovenian.
“Obviously the season is very long these days. I’ve had 95 races so it’s pretty tiring. But I managed to keep my motivation high and tried my best and the results came, even at this stage of the season.
“I just kept on riding between races. Doing the efforts my coach tells me and that kept the fitness levels up and allowed me to do my best.”
Mention of compatriot Bole at Bahrain Merida is poignant as Mohoric is moving across the Gulf to join him for 2018.
Mohoric also has a friend who is part of Merida’s management and his contract was also up with the UAE. He is looking forward to a new challenge, even if he admits it was a hard decision to leave his “family”.
“It’s been good times with them and I enjoyed being here with them. The team is like a family to me. The other side is I am looking forward to the future and we will see what it brings.
“It was a hard decision because I’ve really enjoyed myself at this team. It was hard to leave but I have new goals for the future and lots of motivation so I will look forward.
“I’m looking forward to it. It will be something new, something different. I hope it will be as good as it was here in UAE Team Emirates.”
With his contract winding down and the emergence of another Middle East-based team – both UAE Team Emirates and Bahrain Merida were new additions to the UCI roster this year – Mohoric said joining Merida had long been a possible option come the end of the season.
“A good friend of mine is connected with the Bahrain team, so as soon as that team was established I was always thinking of joining them. And now it will happen,” added Mohoric, who will definitely be keeping a close on the UAE and his now former colleagues.
“I am good friends with everybody and will keep in touch with all the staff and riders and stay friends,” he added.
“I was friends with all the team, and I think it’s important to keep the relationships.”
