Slovenian street professional Matej Mohorič gained the UCI Gravel World Championships on Sunday aboard an unreleased, however not very hidden Merida Silex gravel race bike. We caught up with him a night after the race in Italy for an up-close take a look at the brand new Merida gravel bike. And a fast chat a bit about why he selected a correct gravel bike over some to the endurance street bikes you’d discover within the gravel peloton. And what spares he carried in case he had a mechanical…
2023 Gravel World Champion Matej Mohorič’s unreleased Merida Silex
As is nearly de rigeur for professional UCI gravel race winners today, Matej Mohorič is at the start often known as a professional street bicycle owner, racing for Bahrain Victorious. Over the previous couple of years he’s gained levels in all three of the Grand Excursions, plus Milan-San Remo final yr. However talking to him, it appears Mohorič could be very a lot an off-road rider at coronary heart. And he was fairly excited for the chance to place his street racing chops to the check on gravel.
With that stated although, the Gravel World Championships was his final deliberate race of the season. And he actually didn’t anticipate to be preventing for the win. Mohorič stated he went into his first Gravel Worlds simply hoping to have a superb day on the bike and end close to the entrance.
What about this new bike?
The trick right here was that Merida had a brand new bike within the works. And he jumped on the likelihood to strive it out.
Merida has launched the total particulars simply but on the brand new bike. However the customized staff paint job fairly clearly shouts that that is the alternative for their present Silex. Whereas that versatile gravel bike appears to have been fairly profitable for Merida over the previous 6 years, its tall headtube appears have been fairly divisive for anybody searching for a performance-focused bike.
What apparently satisfied Mohorič to race this unreleased Silex vs. Merida’s quick gravel endurance all-road bike, and even the identical Reacto that his ex-teammate Sonny Colbrelli rode to a muddy Paris-Roubaix win in 2021, was the long-wheelbase stability of the Silex.
What’s new on the bike appears like just about the whole lot at first look.
However apparently, even by particulars like subtly extra aero tube shaping, an built-in seatclamp, full inner cable routing, and dropped chainstays… the character of this upcoming Silex reboot was nonetheless about versatility. Not simply racing.
Apparently, this isn’t actually a gravel race bike. Fortunately no one advised Matej Mohorič that.
Professional roadie gravel bike setup
The primary trace that this can be a professional street racer’s setup of what could be a mean Joe’s gravel bike is that extremely lengthy FSA stem. And that indisputable fact that the stem was slammed.
At first, I assumed Mohorič subscribed to the bizarre ‘flip your levers in’ crowd on his 40cm vast bars.
However in actuality, he simply had a crash in the previous couple of kms of the race when he was sprinting off the entrance for the win. And he couldn’t be bothered to attempt to mess with it when the brakes and shifting nonetheless labored and he had hungry racers closing in behind him.
How did Matej Mohorič customise his Gravel Worlds setup?
I had an opportunity to speak with Matej, and far of his bike setup got here all the way down to the final minute. And actually build up the frameset with no matter street elements the staff had mendacity round their service course on the finish of the street race season. The truth is, his staff mechanics bought this Silex prototype prepared simply within the final week for him. They didn’t even have time to spherical up a Dura-Ace powermeter crankset. So, Matej raced Gravel Worlds simply primarily based on his heartrate.
Onboard gravel flat restore package
Apparently although, whereas most street execs are used to being adopted by staff automobiles with spare bikes and succesful mechanics, Matej advised us how he needed to be extra self-sufficient racing gravel. After all, if he bought a flat he wouldn’t seemingly get tremendous quick mechanical assist anyway.
So, in his bar ends have been Muc-Off’s Stealth Tubeless Puncture Plug tire restore package. With the clear silicone protecting covers nonetheless in place. And Matej was fast to indicate how the detachable QR axle instrument he carried in his pocket may pull the serrated knife or plug instrument out in a second to repair a flat. Clearly, he knew what he was doing to enact a quick repair if wanted.
Underneath his saddle was additionally a small saddlebag with just a few CO2 canisters, a Muc-Off inflator and a small bottle of Stan’s tubeless sealant. Matej figured if he bought a flat that he needed to restore rapidly on the roadside, he may squeeze in some additional sealant, stab a tire plug in, and blast some air again into it earlier than the staff automobiles would ever make their approach to him.
In the long run, he had no mechanicals for your complete race because of clean using and nice luck. That finally helped him distance the competitors. However he was clearly ready greater than we’re used to seeing from professional street riders.
Compact street gearing for gravel racing
Again to the ‘run what you brung mentality and a street bike construct, his Gravel World Championship-winning Silex prototype was constructed up with a reasonably straight-forward Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset with compact 50/34T gearing and an 11-34T cassette. No fancy gravel gearing required. But additionally loads of pace from a street compact setup, even for elite skilled racing.
A better take a look at the non-driveside of the unreleased next-gen Silex reveals a superb ‘ol threaded backside bracket. And there dramatically dropped chainstays (beneath all of the Italian gravel mud) to supply ample tire clearance and 2x chainring compatibility.
I additionally not unsurprisingly that Mohorič was racing gravel on street pedals. Should you go quick sufficient, and by no means put your foot down, who wants walkable pedals, anyway!
There’s nothing far more professional than a ludicrously lengthy stem, with race notes taped on prime.
Matej raced with this 140mm lengthy FSA ACR stem with all of his cables hidden inside. And his staff marked out the place within the race they’d be standing roadside for a bottle hand-up, plus the one feed space the place he’d get a musette filled with snacks, too.
Precise gravel elements too!
About the one actual devoted gravel part outdoors of the unreleased Silex bike itself, have been the tires.
Mohorič raced on a set of 40mm Continental Terra Velocity tubeless tires. Presumably with Stan’s NoTubes inside, primarily based on the spare bottle he was carrying in his saddlebag. And inside have been some light-weight tire liner inserts. Mohorič didn’t know which of them they have been. and even what coloration they have been, as I attempted to see if he may clue us in.
However he needed the added safety in case he flatted, since he was working the very light-weight carbon Imaginative and prescient Metron SL street wheels.
As an almost last-minute construct to be able to race Gravel Worlds on the brand new body, just about the whole lot else on the bike besides the tires is straight out of the Bahrain Victorious street service course, together with these Dura-Ace brakes with 160mm rotors.
Of be aware, Matej raced with certainly one of Merida’s detachable QR axle levers in his pocket because it features a 4mm/6mm Allen key for fast bolt tightening. But additionally a second one already put in on the rear axle to hurry up a wheel change if wanted. That rear one wasn’t in a really aero place both, primarily based on the mud that accrued through the race.
Doesn’t appear to have slowed him down a lot.
What’s subsequent for Mohorič as new Gravel World Champ and with a brand new Silex coming quickly?
The 2023 Gravel Worlds title wasn’t Matej Mohorič’s first rainbow stripes. He gained Junior Street Worlds in 2012 & U23 Street Worlds in 2013. However each of these instances he moved up within the ranks the season after he gained these gold medals. So he by no means bought to compete in a rainbow jersey. Now Mohorič says he gained’t miss that chance once more. And he’ll trip “not less than 2 or 3 or 4 or possibly 12” gravel races subsequent season to ensure he will get to indicate off a brand new rainbow package.
And he appears fairly pleased with the brand new bike. He even talked about what he would change together with his race setup… Perhaps a 2cm shorter stem. However with some unfavorable rise to get the bars a bit decrease. However that’s about it. And has already talked about that he can’t wait till he will get one with a rainbow-themed paint job!
Coming quickly…
