Mohorič takes 8th at the Tour of Flanders
# Mohorič Shines with 8th Place Finish at Historic Tour of Flanders
The 110th edition of the Tour of Flanders, renowned as “Flanders’ Finest,” unfolded today amidst fierce competition and electrifying energy from the Flemish crowd. Spanning a grueling 278 km route from Antwerp to Oudenaarde, this year’s race featured some of the most iconic cobbled sectors and climbs, once again highlighting its status as a premier cycling event.
Bahrain Victorious showcased an impressive team spirit from the onset, with Kamil Gradek making an early breakaway alongside approximately a dozen riders. The tension in the peloton escalated dramatically at the Molenberg, located 107 km from the finish, as the favorites began to pick up the pace. Among them was Matej Mohorič, who skillfully bridged the gap to the front runners and managed to stay competitive in the latter stages of the race.
The decisive moment came on the Oude Kwaremont, with just 57 km remaining. World champion Tadej Pogačar attacked, leading a talented group that included Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel, Mads Pedersen, and Mathieu van der Poel. As the race progressed, Pogačar made a solo bid for victory, securing his third Tour of Flanders title.
Despite not being among the leading finishers, Mohorič delivered a strong performance, finishing 8th. “I’m super happy and proud of today’s race. We really rode together as a team,” Mohorič remarked after his sixth participation in the Ronde. “The young guys showed themselves early on and helped us a lot. Alec Segaert also did a great job: 15th place is a strong result in such a field. This race was brutal and very honest. In the end, everyone was on their limit because it was so hard from early on. Now we’re all looking forward to next week. Roubaix is different. More chaos, more crashes, and you need some luck; but hopefully it will be on our side. For now, I just want to enjoy this result and be proud of how we raced as a team.”
Sports Director Nikolas Maes commended the team’s resilience, saying, “Today we saw another epic Tour of Flanders. The big riders started pushing already on the Molenberg, which made the race incredibly hard. Matej was exactly where we wanted him to be. He made it into the front group of around 15 riders and stayed there until the second passage of the Oude Kwaremont when the strongest riders went clear as expected. Matej was just behind that elite group of five and kept fighting, dropping other riders and continuing all the way to the finish with Florian Vermeersch and Jasper Stuyven. In the sprint, he couldn’t beat them, but 8th place is a very solid result for us. We aimed for a top ten and achieved it. With Alec Segaert also finishing 15th, it’s a performance we can be happy with.”
A particularly emotional moment occurred for Alessandro Borgo, who completed his first-ever Tour of Flanders. Maes added, “Alessandro was in tears at the finish, tears of happiness. It really shows how big this race is and what it means, especially for a young rider in his first year as a professional. At first, it surprised me, but then you realize what he just accomplished, finishing such a demanding Monument. Moments like this show how closely emotion and sport are connected, and that’s what makes cycling so special.”
The Tour of Flanders has once again proven to be a crucible of cycling excellence, leaving its mark on both seasoned pros and newcomers alike, as the teams now set their sights on the next challenge in Roubaix.
