News: Bauke Mollema’s 2021 Season

The hillier classics like Leige Bastogne Leige, Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and the Olympic Games are the stated aims for Bauke Mollema’s cycling year

News: Bauke Mollema’s 2021 Season

The hillier classics like Leige Bastogne Leige, Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and the Olympic Games are the stated aims for Bauke Mollema’s cycling year. Trek-Segafredo has begun their season with a January training camp in Denia, just north of the well-known Calpe area of Spain.

The WorldTour team has gathered for a two and a half week training period and Mollema says of that “it is quite a long time. Because the December camp was not held, this training camp will take a bit longer ”, Mollema told WielerFlits.

For the 34-year-old Dutchman, the team training period comes at the end of a four-month period in which he was only at home. “Last week I was thinking: it has been almost fifteen years since I have been home for such a long period. Pretty crazy.” Mollema started the corona season energetically last year, but it came to an abrupt end on the thirteenth stage of the Tour de France. when he broke his wrist after a fall on a descent. That was the end of his Tour and the end of his cycling year.

Four months later, the wrist fracture is no longer a problem. At least, not by bike. “It doesn’t bother me while cycling. I still notice it in ‘normal life’. I don’t feel it with certain movements. The question is whether that will ever go away. Maybe it will diminish as soon as the metal plates that are still in it have been removed. ”

Just like in 2011, 2017 and 2019, Mollema opts for the double Giro-Tour this year. “I have indicated to the team management that I would like to ride the Giro d’Italia again. And not for the classification. With Vincenzo Nibali, we have someone who can compete for the overall victory. Whether I can aim for stage wins, that depends on the course of the race.”

And that also applies to the Tour de France, Mollema adds. “It is not yet certain whether I will go to the Tour as a leader. That also depends on how I get out of the Giro. They determine the division of roles shortly before the Tour ”, says the Dutchman. In the eyes of Mollema, the Giro-Tour combination is a good run-up to the Olympic Games. “The Olympic Games have been singing in my head ever since the course became known. That is certainly a big goal this year. Officially I have yet to be selected, but I have confidence in that. If I reach my level, I assume that I am going. ”

“Last year’s selection was based on the hillier classics, but the course in Tokyo is even tougher. I think it is more comparable to the Clásica San Sebastián and the Tour of Lombardy ” explains Mollema. “Because I have spent a long time at home and have been able to train well, I am slightly ahead of schedule compared to other years. In February, I have a busy schedule and I want to be there immediately. ”

Mollema starts his season with a series of French races. In February I have a busy schedule and I want to be there immediately. I start the season in the Ster de Bessèges, followed by the Tour de la Provence and the Tour du Var ”, he explains. “In the run-up to the Giro, I’m also aiming for the hillier classics. This has not yet been discussed in detail at the training camp, but it is my goal to compete for the victories ”, said Mollema. In the run-up to those classics, he does not ride Paris-Nice or Tirreno-Adriatico.

After three French stage races, Mollema successively rides the Drôme Classic, Trofeo Laigueglia and Strade Bianche for the second time in his career. At the beginning of April, he will start in the Tour of the Basque Country, as a final preparation for the Ardennes races.

Mollema’s Proposed Schedule for 2021
Ster van Bessèges (3-7 February)
Tour de la Provence (11-14 February)
Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var (19-21 February)
Drôme Classic (27 February)
Trofeo Laigueglia (3 March)
Strade Bianche (6 March)
Ronde van het Baskenland (5-10 April)
Amstel Gold Race (18 April)
Waalse Pijl (21 April)
Leige-Bastogne-Leige (25 April)
Giro d’Italia (8-30 May)
Tour de France (26 June-18 July)
Olympics (24 July)