“What a worthless transfer" - Bauke Mollema critical of 700km distance between final two Giro d'Italia stages

A Giro d'Italia of missed opportunities for Bauke Mollema will be brought to an end later to today. After a frustrating race where he failed to claim the stage win he wanted, the 36-year-old has criticised the 700km transfer from the stage 20 time-trial to Rome for the ceremonial finale.

"What a worthless transfer,” Mollema said in an interview with Eurosport, expressing his frustration at the massive journey needed to go from stage to stage. "It's a shame we still have to go that way, but that's the Giro."

Coming into the race with the goal of taking a stage win to complete his set of Grand Tour victories, Mollema was a breakaway regular but was sadly unable to take that win he had so craved. On the stage 20 time-trial, the Trek - Segafredo admits he faded badly.

“I started well, but finished less. However, I didn't start super hard in my opinion," he says. "On the final climb, I tried to ride on the limit, hoping to ride top ten. But after five minutes it was done. It was raking to the top, but there was nothing in it.”