"A week ago I wouldn't have thought that I would be racing here" - Bauke Mollema looks forward to racing Il Lombardia after a string of injuries

Crashes, illness, pain, struggles... An average cyclist would have put an end to 2023 long ago if he or she had encountered what Bauke Mollema had to deal with this year. However, the Dutchman from Lidl-Trek was at the start of Gran Piemonte on Thursday, and he will also participate in Il Lombardia on Saturday. In de Leiderstrui spoke to him, about the present and the future.

"Things have been a bit difficult in recent weeks. A week ago I wouldn't have thought that I would be racing here now," Mollema emphasizes the impact of the crash on the European Championship.

"I had a very mild concussion, although at first I mainly had problems with my back. It is still bright and blue, but was especially bad in the first few days," he explains. "I also had difficulty focusing on the bike and I felt that it was not completely normal. Things slowly improved from Thursday and I was still able to train well on Saturday. Based on that, we decided to still race here."

"I love the Italian classics and although I suffered in Tre Valli Varesine, I hope it will get better every day. Then I hope that things will go a bit better in Lombardy, also with the back," the experienced rider looks ahead to Il Lombardia.