Slovenian street professional Matej Mohorič received the UCI Gravel Global Championships on Sunday aboard an unreleased, however now not very hidden Merida Silex gravel race motorcycle. We stuck up with him a night after the race in Italy for an up-close have a look at the brand new Merida gravel motorcycle. And a handy guide a rough chat a little bit about why he selected a correct gravel motorcycle over some to the staying power street motorcycles you’d to find within the gravel peloton. And what spares he carried in case he had a mechanical…
2023 Gravel Global Champion Matej Mohorič’s unreleased Merida Silex
As is sort of de rigeur for professional UCI gravel race winners nowadays, Matej Mohorič is initially referred to as a professional street bicycle owner, racing for Bahrain Victorious. Over the previous few years he’s received phases in all 3 of the Grand Excursions, plus Milan-San Remo final 12 months. However talking to him, it kind of feels Mohorič could be very a lot an off-road rider at middle. And he used to be lovely excited for the chance to place his street racing chops to the take a look at on gravel.
With that mentioned despite the fact that, the Gravel Global Championships used to be his final deliberate race of the season. And he in reality didn’t be expecting to be preventing for the win. Mohorič mentioned he went into his first Gravel Worlds simply hoping to have a excellent day at the motorcycle and end close to the entrance.
What about this new motorcycle?
The trick right here used to be that Merida had a brand new motorcycle within the works. And he jumped on the likelihood to check out it out.
Merida has launched the total main points simply but at the new motorcycle. However the customized staff paint process lovely clearly shouts that that is the alternative for their current Silex. Whilst that flexible gravel motorcycle turns out to had been rather a hit for Merida during the last 6 years, its tall headtube seems to be have been lovely divisive for any person searching for a performance-focused motorcycle.
What it appears satisfied Mohorič to race this unreleased Silex vs. Merida’s rapid gravel staying power all-road motorcycle, and even the similar Reacto that his ex-teammate Sonny Colbrelli rode to a muddy Paris-Roubaix win in 2021, used to be the long-wheelbase balance of the Silex.
What’s new at the motorcycle looks as if just about the entirety in the beginning look.
However it appears, even thru main points like subtly extra aero tube shaping, an built-in seatclamp, complete interior cable routing, and dropped chainstays… the nature of this upcoming Silex reboot used to be nonetheless about versatility. Now not simply racing.
It sounds as if, this isn’t in reality a gravel race motorcycle. Happily no one advised Matej Mohorič that.
Professional roadie gravel motorcycle setup
The primary trace that this can be a professional street racer’s setup of what could be a median Joe’s gravel motorcycle is that extremely lengthy FSA stem. And that incontrovertible fact that the stem used to be slammed.
In the beginning, I believed Mohorič subscribed to the bizarre ‘flip your levers in’ crowd on his 40cm large bars.
However in fact, he simply had a crash in the previous few kms of the race when he used to be sprinting off the entrance for the win. And he couldn’t be afflicted to check out to clutter with it when the brakes and moving nonetheless labored and he had hungry racers last in in the back of him.
How did Matej Mohorič customise his Gravel Worlds setup?
I had a possibility to talk with Matej, and far of his motorcycle setup got here all the way down to the final minute. And actually increase the frameset with no matter street elements the staff had mendacity round their carrier path on the finish of the street race season. Actually, his staff mechanics were given this Silex prototype in a position simply within the final week for him. They didn’t also have time to spherical up a Dura-Ace powermeter crankset. So, Matej raced Gravel Worlds simply in keeping with his heartrate.
Onboard gravel flat restore equipment
Apparently despite the fact that, whilst maximum street professionals are used to being adopted through staff automobiles with spare motorcycles and succesful mechanics, Matej advised us how he sought after to be extra self-sufficient racing gravel. In fact, if he were given a flat he wouldn’t most likely get tremendous rapid mechanical fortify anyway.
So, in his bar ends have been Muc-Off’s Stealth Tubeless Puncture Plug tire restore equipment. With the transparent silicone protecting covers nonetheless in position. And Matej used to be fast to turn how the detachable QR axle instrument he carried in his pocket may pull the serrated knife or plug instrument out in a second to mend a flat. Obviously, he knew what he used to be doing to enact a quick repair if wanted.
Beneath his saddle used to be additionally a small saddlebag with a couple of CO2 canisters, a Muc-Off inflator and a small bottle of Stan’s tubeless sealant. Matej figured if he were given a flat that he needed to restore briefly at the roadside, he may squeeze in some further sealant, stab a tire plug in, and blast some air again into it prior to the staff automobiles would ever make their strategy to him.
In spite of everything, he had no mechanicals for all of the race because of clean driving and nice success. That in the long run helped him distance the contest. However he used to be obviously 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 motorcycle construct, his Gravel Global Championship-winning Silex prototype used to be constructed up with a beautiful straight-forward Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset with compact 50/34T gearing and an 11-34T cassette. No fancy gravel gearing required. But in addition a lot of velocity from a street compact setup, even for elite skilled racing.
A better have a look at the non-driveside of the unreleased next-gen Silex unearths a excellent ‘ol threaded backside bracket. And there dramatically dropped chainstays (beneath the entire Italian gravel mud) to supply considerable tire clearance and 2x chainring compatibility.
I additionally now not unsurprisingly that Mohorič used to be racing gravel on street pedals. In the event you cross rapid sufficient, and not put your foot down, who wishes walkable pedals, anyway!
There’s not anything a lot more professional than a ludicrously lengthy stem, with race notes taped on best.
Matej raced with this 140mm lengthy FSA ACR stem with all of his cables hidden inside of. And his staff marked out the place within the race they’d be status roadside for a bottle hand-up, plus the only feed space the place he’d get a musette stuffed with snacks, too.
Exact gravel elements too!
About the one actual devoted gravel element out of doors of the unreleased Silex motorcycle itself, have been the tires.
Mohorič raced on a suite of 40mm Continental Terra Pace tubeless tires. Probably with Stan’s NoTubes inside of, in keeping with the spare bottle he used to be sporting in his saddlebag. And inside of have been some light-weight tire liner inserts. Mohorič didn’t know which of them they have been. and even what colour they have been, as I attempted to peer if he may clue us in.
However he sought after the added safety in case he flatted, since he used to be operating the very light-weight carbon Imaginative and prescient Metron SL street wheels.
As a just about last-minute construct to be in a position to race Gravel Worlds at the new body, just about the entirety else at the motorcycle aside from the tires is directly out of the Bahrain Victorious street carrier path, together with those Dura-Ace brakes with 160mm rotors.
Of be aware, Matej raced with one in all Merida’s detachable QR axle levers in his pocket because it features a 4mm/6mm Allen key for speedy bolt tightening. But in addition a 2nd one already put in at the rear axle to hurry up a wheel trade if wanted. That rear one wasn’t in an excessively aero place both, in keeping with the mud that collected throughout the race.
Doesn’t appear to have slowed him down a lot.
What’s subsequent for Mohorič as new Gravel Global Champ and with a brand new Silex coming quickly?
The 2023 Gravel Worlds name wasn’t Matej Mohorič’s first rainbow stripes. He received Junior Highway Worlds in 2012 & U23 Highway Worlds in 2013. However either one of the ones instances he moved up within the ranks the season after he received the ones gold medals. So he by no means were given to compete in a rainbow jersey. Now Mohorič says he received’t leave out that chance once more. And he’ll trip “a minimum of 2 or 3 or 4 or possibly 12” gravel races subsequent season to verify he will get to sing their own praises a brand new rainbow equipment.
And he turns out lovely proud of the brand new motorcycle. He even mentioned what he would trade together with his race setup… Perhaps a 2cm shorter stem. However with some detrimental upward thrust to get the bars a little bit decrease. However that’s about it. And has already discussed that he can’t wait till he will get one with a rainbow-themed paint process!
Coming quickly…