Yesterday, in part one, we talked about the two rainbow jerseys Matej’s already won but today we talk about more light-hearted matters, such as G4 casual wear and his uber stylish team-mates.
G4: I read somewhere you said you’d love to win the Giro, really?
MM: Yeah, you know when journalists ask you for the umpteenth time which race you’d most like to win I always say that one day I’d like to win the Giro. Largely because I love everything about Italy, the place, the people, the food, the culture ….everything.
Obviously, I don’t really have specific results as objectives yet. I want to enjoy my life and learn what it means to be a professional rider.
G4: At your age, it’s too early to tell what type of rider you’ll become.
MM: I only said that to keep them quiet but of course it would be great to be a Giro contender one day but it’s not my first objective.
G4: Like all riders, you spend a lot of time in your team’s casual wear. What factors are important to you?
MM: For me it’s two things. Firstly that the clothing is comfortable and secondly it should look nice. G4 has both of those covered which I’m more than happy about.
G4: You have a lot of very stylish team-mates don’t you? Who’s style do you like?
MM: The Italians always dress well and Peter Sagan has a style all his own, I think it’s important for an athlete to have a proper image, particularly in public. Clothes make the man, no?
G4: I know what you mean. If you know you look good, you feel good.
MM: Yeah and if you’re representing the team you want to look smart, self-confident, neat and tidy. I read somewhere that the most successful people have tidy rooms; it’s an important aspect of life for me.
G4: So who have you been sharing a room with?
MM: Here, Ivan Basso
G4: When I first saw Ivan Basso at 2004 Tour de France, he struck me as being a very elegant rider. I bet he’s neat and tidy?
MM: He’s very neat and tidy. And you’re right, he’s very elegant but humble too even though he’s a great champion. He’s very approachable and still wants to talk to you, help you, give you advice. He’s not at all arrogant. We regularly exchange room-mates so that we can quickly get to know everyone as quickly as possible. It’s important for quick integration and to really feel part of the team.
I’m so grateful that I was able to be a part of this team #thankyou #cdalepro #proud @RideCannondale @cannondalePro pic.twitter.com/wmRLo9GxgJ
— Matej Mohoric (@matmohoric) 12 Octobre 2014
I’ve heard it’s not like this in all the teams. It’s why we’re successful in races. We always feel part of the team, in normal life and on the road. When you have to pull together it’s that “all for one, one for all”. You know it’s important to understand how people are going to react in a race and it helps us be far more open with one another. That culture of openness and honesty is very important to me.
Return tomorrow to find out a bit more about Matej’s background.
Links: Part one
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