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."

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.”

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.