Former Tour de France stage winner reflects on year without a grand tour: "I would have really liked to ride the Tour"

At 37 years old, Bauke Mollema, who rides for Lidl-Trek and has an impressive record of Tour de France and Vuelta stage wins, experienced a significant shift in his career this year by not participating in a Grand Tour for the first time in 14 years. Mollema’s absence from these marquee events, however, has given him a chance to re-evaluate his approach and goals for the coming seasons.

Reflecting on whether he aspires to complete a trio of stage wins by adding a Giro d'Italia victory to his list, Mollema told Wielerflits, “Do I want to complete the trio with a stage win in the Giro d'Italia? I'm not really thinking about that." He also shared mixed feelings about missing the Grand Tours, admitting, "Did I miss it? Well, not really. I would have really liked to ride the Tour. That was my goal, to make that selection. In the end, that didn't work out. But I did have a good time in the summer. Did other fun things, hardly cycled for a month. That worked out well in itself."

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While Mollema remains open to returning to a Grand Tour, he acknowledged the limitations brought by the depth of talent at Lidl-Trek. “Of course, I would like to ride a Grand Tour again. That also depends on whether the team is up for it,” he shared, adding that he’s realistic about his priorities.

“I don't really need that anymore. I think I'd better focus on something else. I mean, the last two times in 2022 and 2023, things didn't really go well in the Grand Tours either. In 2021, I did win that Tour stage, of course. But our selection is now so good and so broad that two Grand Tours is probably no longer an option anyway. I think I can be happy at Lidl-Trek if I can ride one Grand Tour in the next two seasons.”

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Reflecting on his 2024 season, Mollema highlighted the success of his preparation for the World Championships, where he achieved an ideal level of form. “What I take away from this year is that the preparation for the World Championships went really perfectly. I will try to repeat that to a large extent next year. I would like to be there again in Rwanda.” He sees this preparation as beneficial for the Italian and Walloon classics, saying, “If I am really good at the World Championships, like a few weeks ago, you are normally also good for the Italian classics that follow. But I also did very well in the Walloon classics. I hope that this will be a goal for me again.”

Looking ahead, Mollema also hinted at a possible return to the Tour Down Under, sharing his enthusiasm for the event. “There is a good chance that I will start in the Tour Down Under again. I enjoyed that this year.”

As he enters the latter stages of his career, Mollema seems content to take a selective approach, focusing on key goals while appreciating the freedom to explore new avenues within cycling.

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