The official Great Bauke Mollema thread

[Brullnux]

Sort of ninja-ed his way into 5th but at the same time was very active weirdly. Always looked on edge for the last week, but fought well

 

[F_Cance]

Re:

Result aside, is this his best ever performance in a GT? The way he handled the third week really surprised me, I thought he was going to crack badly either on Tuesday or today.

His best was obviously the Tour 2016. Still think he would have podiumed without that crash. But true, he didn't look good at some days this Giro, but still he was able to fight and limit the losses. Also his climbing style can be quite deceiving as we know, but i doubt that there is a better fighter (or someone being able / wanting to go deeper) than him.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Hard not to cheer for him. My back hurts just watching him on a bike, but you have to admire his ability to go through a wall. He has been punching above his weight his entire carreer and defying odds.

 

[movingtarget]

Been impressed by Mollema. Good form and has ridden a sensible race. Deserves his top five finish.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Podium in the Vuelta 2011

 

[Red Rick]

This is literally the most Mollema thing I can think of

 

[geisterhome]

It was a good change of environment to go to Trek. TGBM has become a more complete rider on Trek, i.e. improving his time trial a lot. In short stage races he's always among my top 5 favourites. As a GT-rider, he cannot reach the exceptional levels of the best climbers in the world, and thus always relies on his consistency through 3 weeks. I agree with others, that this a thing to respect, when a rider knows his limitations and rides according to them. The only thing to dislike about Mollema is his terrible style on the bike.

Yea I have nothing against the guy and I normally don't care about how any of the pros ride their bike but from a stylistic standpoint Mollema really takes the cake when it comes to how incapable a pro-rider can look. How anyone on his level really ride like that really beats me.

 

[tobydawq]

A Grand Tour podium and a World Championships title for him this year. Quite a season.

 

[Red Rick]

A Grand Tour podium and a World Championships title for him this year. Quite a season.

In the most Mollema way possible.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Mollema is now a world champion.

 

[Noddy97]

A Grand Tour podium and a World Championships title for him this year. Quite a season.

Grand Tour podium?

 

[DNP-Old]

Grand Tour podium?

Cobo.

 

[Noddy97]

Cobo.

lol

 

[del1962]

Thank makes sense, I thought at first you were talking about 3rd in Giro ITT

 

[tobydawq]

Thank makes sense, I thought at first you were talking about 3rd in Giro ITT

That would have been lame.

And not exactly unprecedented.

 

[Red Rick]

running gag on the forum, don't know how it exactly started.

After 9 years Bauke shows the joke's on you my friend.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Hey I love Mollema. What a legend

 

[Leinster]

That was quality and well deserved.

 

[Red Rick]

Hey I love Mollema. What a legend

What a year.

GT podium. European and World champ. Monument winner.

Rider of the year for me.

 

[SHAD0W93]

Mollema making himself great again, good win for him.

 

[Sestriere]

What a year.

GT podium. European and World champ. Monument winner.

Rider of the year for me.

Well, 'bout that....

 

[Sestriere]

Anyone with more memes up their sleeves?

 

[Laplaz]

A Grand Tour podium and a World Championships title for him this year. Quite a season.

Even better now with Lombardia! Chapeau TGBM!

 

[RedheadDane]

Even better now with Lombardia! Chapeau TGBM!

And this time he did it on his own, and not eight years late.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

quite sneakily a good career for somebody with:
-Above average punch, but not as explosive as a real classic contender
-Above average climbing, but not as much as a pure climber
-Above average TT, but not like a Dennis, Dumoulin or Froome
-Decent sprint, but nothing like Valverde

Still wins L'Avenir (u23), San Sebastian, Lombardia, Tour stage, Vuelta stage and a bunch of smaller one day and stage wins + world and euro champ TTT. As well as podium Vuelta, top 5 Giro and top 6 Tour. While possibly losing an even better placing in the Tour due to a fall..