Bahrain Victorious rider Matej Mohorič claimed the bronze medal at the 2025 Bolero UCI Gravel World Championships on Sunday October 12th. This result in South Limburg, The Netherlands, markes another major achievement for the Slovenian who was the 2023 UCI Gravel World Champion.
The 2025 (and fourth) edition of the UCI Gravel Worlds (held in Italy in 2022 & 2023, and last year in Flanders, Belgium), 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 180 km 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 120 km to go. After gradually dropping all his breakaway companions, the Belgian rider went solo on the final climb to secure victory. Frits Biesterbos (NED) took silver, having stayed with Vermeersch until 19 km out, with Mohorič 1’23” behind the winner after leading the chase group.
“Today the race was really hard, as expected,” said Mohorič 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 TBV duo of Mohorič and Matevž Govekar, praised Matej’s performance and determination:
“We knew it would be a difficult and very fast race, as the course was less technical than previous years. The speed was incredibly high.
Our riders were very motivated — both Matej and Matevž — but unfortunately Matevž 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.”
