Bauke Mollema 5th at Dutch ITT Championships: "I would have liked to defend the jersey, but unfortunately that was not possible"

Bauke Mollema had to give up his red-white-blue jersey to Jos van Emden, who won the title from his former teammate in Nunspeet. Mollema himself finished fifth, 40 seconds behind Jumbo-Visma rider.

"The first lap went well," Mollema evaluates in an interview for Wielerflits. "My start was really good and I was riding good wattages, but then we got a headwind and a crosswind on a certain part, and I noticed that I couldn't pull through. I had to downshift there, where you want to take it up a notch. The second lap was then a lot worse."

The Champion jersey now goes to veteran Van Emden. "That's good for him," laughs the Trek-Segafredo rider. "He has won twice before and this is great for him. Congratulations! It was certainly beautiful for me to wear the Dutch champion kit. I would have liked to defend the jersey, but unfortunately that was not possible."