CYCLING – Team Bahrain Victorious rider Matej Mohoric claimed the bronze medal at the 2025 Bolero UCI Gravel World Championships held in South Limburg, the Netherlands.
The result marked another major achievement for the Slovenian, who was the 2023 gravel world champion.
The 2025, and fourth, edition of the gravel worlds took place on a route that showcased the emblematic rolling terrain and unpaved roads of South Limburg.
An ideal terrain for gravel racing: one of cycling’s fastest-growing disciplines and one that combines elements of road and mountain biking, across gravel paths, forest tracks, farm roads, and cobbles.
The 180km elite men’s race saw Florian Vermeersch finally take the rainbow jersey after two consecutive silver medals. Vermeersch was among the attackers who went clear with 120km to go.
After gradually dropping all his breakaway companions, the Belgian rider went solo on the final climb to secure victory.
Frits Biesterbos of the Netherlands took silver, having stayed with Vermeersch until 19km out, with Mohoric a minute and 23 seconds behind the winner after leading the chase group.
“Today, the race was really hard, as expected,” said Mohoric after securing his third-place finish. “The parcours was a bit more straightforward than last year, so it was difficult to make a difference. So it was quite tactical, with a lot of positioning early on.
“I got caught out a couple of times but managed to come back to the front. Unfortunately, I missed the first key breakaway, which was crucial to winning today. Still, I found space to attack in the second half of the race, and I think third place is a great result – the best we could do today.”
“I’m proud to show this great bike and all our partners’ equipment – it was key to our success. We’ve gained a lot of experience in gravel over the past years, and equipment choice is crucial.”
“I’m happy to bring a medal home and now look forward to the off-season.”
Bahrain Victorious sports director Franco Pellizotti, who was on-site supporting the Bahrain Victorious duo of Mohoric and Matevz Govekar, praised Mohoric’s performance and determination.
“We knew it would be a difficult and very fast race, as the course was less technical than previous years,” he said.
“The speed was incredibly high. Our riders were very motivated – both Matej and Matevz – but unfortunately Matevz suffered a puncture right when the breakaway formed and couldn’t come back. Matej, as always, managed to stay at the front and read the race perfectly.”
“Even if he wasn’t at his very best, his experience and intelligence on the bike made the difference. He told me he was completely exhausted and even thought about stopping at one point because of the pace, but his motivation and mindset pushed him through to the finish.”
“This bronze medal is an excellent result for him and for the team, closing the season in the best way possible.”
&uuid=(email))