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Four highlights from Mohorič’s incredible downhill attack

The Slovenian took the biggest win of his life

March 21, 2022
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Matej Mohorič (Bahrain-Victorious) attacked on the descent of the Poggio, staying clear of a high-powered group containing Mathieu van der Poel, Wout Van Aert, Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič, to take the biggest victory of his career at La Classicissima di Primavera. Slovenians have won five of the six first rounds of the WorldTour.

Mohorič shocked the cycling world when he not only won MSR by riding away from the top riders in the world on the descent of the Poggio, but also when he said he used a dropper seat post.

The advantages to using a dropper post could be two-fold. Firstly, as with a mountain bike, you’re lowering your centre of gravity, which would be advantageous on a descent for control. But could Mohorič also have found a new way to get even more aero, given that the super tuck has been banned? Mohorič is a pioneer of the move that allowed riders to get more aero on descents, sitting on their top tubes instead of their saddles. You sacrifice pedal power in the tuck, but the aero gains more than make up for it. In the case of a dropper on a road bike, like the tuck, you lose the ability to get a full leg extension for your optimal pedal stroke, but with your butt lower, your CdA could be down, too.

1. Mohorič warned Tadej Pogačar not to try and follow him

Fellow Slovenian Mohorič told his countryman before the race that if he was at the front of the race when the descent started, not to try and follow him.

“Mohoric already warned me before the race started. He said I shouldn’t try to follow him in the technical descent of Poggio,” Pogačar said after the race. “I answered I was aware of that and that I knew he’s a little crazy in descents.”

2. When he almost bit it in the gutter

As soon as Mohoric made his move, the attack was almost short-lived as he was too hot around a bend, and went into a gutter that was 30 cm. Without panicking, he simply side bunny hopped back onto the road and kept going full gas.

3. When he activated the dropper post

Anyone that watched the descent again could see the wild moment when he hit the remote switch and dropped the post.

4. When his chain fell off, but it just as quickly jumped back on

There was a collective gasp from cycling fans everywhere, but thankfully the chain somehow got back on.