Matej Mohoric: 'I smashed myself' to take Tour de France win for Mäder

Tour de France: Matej Mohoric wasn't sure if he'd won stage 19 until after the photo finish
Tour de France: Matej Mohoric wasn't sure if he'd won stage 19 until after the photo finish (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Matej Mohorič dived for the line in Poligny at the same moment as Kasper Asgreen, but he had to wait a little longer to learn that he had won stage 19 of the Tour de France. Tears welled up in the Slovenian's eyes when the verdict of the photo finish reached him shortly afterwards.

"It means a lot because it's hard and cruel to be a pro cyclist," Mohorič explained. "You suffer a lot in preparation, you sacrifice your life and your family, and you do everything you can to be ready. Then after a couple of days, you realise everyone is so incredibly strong that it's hard to follow the wheels sometimes."

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.