It means a lot, because it's hard and cruel to be a professional cyclist, you suffer a lot in preparations. You sacrifice your life, your family. You do everything you can to get here ready, and then after a couple of days you realize that everyone is just so incredibly strong...I don't often win because I'm not as strong as the others, but I can keep cool and focus in the crucial moments...the whole day, I just wanted to give my best...every single rider at this moment would deserve a win...I wish that everyone could win a Tour de France stage, but it's just not possible, and that's cruel, no?

With the 2025 Tour de France in the rearview mirror, an emotional interview with Matej Mohorič after winning Stage 19 of the 2023 Tour de France. We looked for him in the paddock at Stage 17 in 2024 (Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux à Superdévoluy) but it was so blistering hot and humid that the riders stayed in the busses until it was time to race. The level of performance in professional cycling is off the charts, but the empathy and honesty of Matej are hard to come by – definitely one for Gino Mäder!