Winner Mohoric almost feels guilty towards 150 colleagues: "I saw all their faces"

The nineteenth stage of the Tour de France descended into total chaos on Friday. From start to finish, the race was fiercely contested, with Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious) emerging as the ultimate winner. Naturally, he had to catch his breath for a moment as he sat down in the chair of today's flash interviewer, Seb Piquet.

Together with comrades Kasper Asgreen (Soudal Quick-Step) and Ben O'Connor, the speedster dashed away from the group of stars on the Cote d'Ivory, which included Mathieu van der Poel, Jasper Philipsen, Tom Pidcock, Christophe Laporte and many others. All those big names eventually joined forces in the background, but their efforts proved too late. A photo finish had to determine the outcome of the race.

The Slovenian rider couldn't contain his happiness after assuring his team Bahrain Victorious' third victory in this Tour. Each of those wins carried some serious emotional weight after the tragic death of teammate Gino Mäder in the Tour of Switzerland - and Mohoric was no exception to that. "We believe in it so much and have gone through tough times. I am very happy and proud."

"It means a lot to me," Mohoric added in a candid flash interview. "Being a professional cyclist is tough. You suffer a lot. You prepare for a goal like the Tour de France, but after a few days, you realize that everyone is very strong, and you can't keep up with the rest," he revealed his internal struggles. "On Wednesday, I was completely empty on the Col de la Loze, but you know you have to reach the top. And then the next day, you have to do it all over again, seeing the staff wake up at six in the morning after going to bed at midnight. Every single day," he openly said.

Mohoric felt regret towards Asgreen, O'Connor and all other 150 riders

"When Kasper took off, he was so strong. He won on Thursday, and now he wanted to do it again," explained Mohoric. "I didn't want to have any regrets when I got to the team bus. I'm not as strong as the others, but I can keep my focus on crucial moments. I knew the move was decisive, and then I could hang on purely through mental strength. At one point, I felt sorry for Ben because he couldn't win with his sprint. Kasper would react, and I don't have a strong sprint, but after such a day, I managed to pull it off."

The talkative Mohoric concluded with encouraging words. "I am strong enough, but the other 150 riders are too. Every rider deserves to win. I saw all their faces, and I know what it can mean for your career."