'Start early and learn the lifestyle' - Mohoric urges U23 talents to seize WorldTour chances

Mohorič believes the pathway has shifted since his own ascent, but his guidance to young riders was unequivocal: jump early and learn at the top. “If you have an opportunity to move up the ranks and start gaining experience at the highest level, take it,” he said on the Domestique Hotseat.

“It’s quite different to under-23 racing. It’s more professional, more structured. You spend way more time with your team and your teammates.”

That step, he stressed, is less about a single result and more about adapting to a demanding routine that underpins performance. “You need to learn to operate like that… be orderly, find friends, start enjoying it,” he said. “Airports shouldn’t cause stress, travel shouldn’t cause stress. You need to take care of your body, nutrition and rest while living out of a suitcase, one day here, the next a thousand kilometres away. It’s not for everyone, and it’s beneficial to recognise early if you’re not built for that.”

Against a backdrop of teams promoting younger riders and expecting results sooner, timing is critical. “Especially now, there’s so much pressure early on that when someone is 25 and he didn’t show himself yet… it’s too late,” Mohorič said.

“Teams are not going to invest if in seven years you didn’t show. When you’re 18, 19, this is the best time to dedicate yourself to your career. You don’t have many responsibilities, you work, eat and sleep. If you want to become one of the best, you need to lay the hard work down.”

He contrasted that window with the realities many riders face by their mid-20s, when settling down or starting a family can complicate total commitment. “Later on, as you get more mature, it gets more complicated, maybe you have a partner, kids, a home,” he said. “Once you have more to worry about, it’s harder to give everything.” For Mohorič, success rests on mastering that rhythm: positioning, recovery, travel, and the daily details, rather than relying solely on physiology.

The 29-year-old’s emphasis on purpose stems from his own high-profile moment in 2023, when his emotional interview after winning in Poligny touched on self-doubt and sacrifice.

“It gives me goosebumps when I hear someone say they were inspired by what we do,” he said. “This is the very reason I decided to fully commit to this career. It’s not an easy lifestyle, it has perks and sacrifices, but I’m an altruist. I want to help others with my work.”

“At one point I asked if it was fair for me to do this when I could be useful in many other jobs,” he continued. “In the end, by inspiring people, I can give something back to those who need motivation to be the best version of themselves. That’s why I love cycling and why I decided to build a career out of it.”

With WorldTour depth rising across Grand Tours and Classics, Mohorič argued that learning race dynamics, roles and team structures early can be decisive for longevity and contracts.

His bottom line for U23 talents: take the leap, adapt quickly to the lifestyle, and if it isn’t for you, learn that early enough to choose a different path without losing something vital.

Listen to the full Hotseat podcast with Matej Mohorič👇