Matej Mohoric of Team Bahrain Victorious secured his third victory in the Tour de France by winning the 19th stage. This win marked the third time that the Bahrain Victorious team celebrated a victory in this year’s race. The team had faced a difficult start to the race due to the tragic death of Gino Mader. Mohoric, who has previously won on all three grand tours, narrowly beat Kasper Asgreen of Denmark in a photo finish. The emotional victory came just over a month after Mader’s fatal crash during the Tour de Suisse. Mohoric’s teammates Pello Bilbao and Wout Poels had also achieved stage victories in the race.
Bahrain Victorious sports director Vladimir Miholjevic expressed the team’s initial stress and grief following Mader’s death. He stated that Mohoric had the ambition to win a stage and the team wanted to honor their fallen teammate. Miholjevic emphasized that Mader would always be remembered and that the team had transformed their grief into motivation.
In the 19th stage, Australian Ben O’Connor finished third in a sprint, ahead of a group of chasers who were caught off guard by Asgreen’s attack. Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard maintained his lead in the overall standings, holding a 7:35 advantage over Tadej Pogacar. The stage featured a large breakaway group of 30 riders, with Victor Campenaerts initially leading the chase. O’Connor, Asgreen, and Mohoric eventually broke away from the peloton and reached the top of the Cote d’Ivory first. With 15km remaining, the trio held a 15-second lead over a group of nine riders. O’Connor launched an early sprint, but Asgreen managed to overtake him and make his move towards the finish line. Mohoric closely followed Asgreen and crossed the line just ahead of him.
Mohoric expressed the significance of his victory, acknowledging the challenges and sacrifices of being a professional cyclist. He dedicated his win to Mader, recognizing the perspective that Mader’s death had brought to his own career. Mohoric highlighted the close bond among teammates and the impact that Mader’s passing had on the team. He emphasized the importance of giving his best in honor of Mader, who could no longer compete.
