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The official Great Bauke Mollema thread

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Started cycling pretty late. Probably has a few good years in him. Even this Giro, everyone citing him as a disappointment but up until his fall in the 2nd week he was pretty good and close to a stage win.

He was really suffering in the last week with both form (bit over his peak) and injury, but still managed 4th in the TT. He's still at a high level clearly. And if he becomes less good he could be a good mentor in his final 2/3 years
 
Started cycling pretty late. Probably has a few good years in him. Even this Giro, everyone citing him as a disappointment but up until his fall in the 2nd week he was pretty good and close to a stage win.

He was really suffering in the last week with both form (bit over his peak) and injury, but still managed 4th in the TT. He's still at a high level clearly. And if he becomes less good he could be a good mentor in his final 2/3 years
Its probably also a downgraded contract. Mollema seems to love his current role amd his team, so it is a good match.

Mollema is a really good utility rider to have in the team
 
Four more years looks a bit excessive, nevertheless I hope he manages to complete his GT stage win slam.
I can only presume that he has traded off salary level for long term settlement and stability possibly even with a role as a DS lined up within the team when he hangs up the cleats.
In all honesty I felt his ride in the Giro was quite selfish as he often went hunting for breaks while Lopez was still in the Maglia Rosa at a time when even Ciccone was holding back and helping.
 
I can only presume that he has traded off salary level for long term settlement and stability possibly even with a role as a DS lined up within the team when he hangs up the cleats.
In all honesty I felt his ride in the Giro was quite selfish as he often went hunting for breaks while Lopez was still in the Maglia Rosa at a time when even Ciccone was holding back and helping.
Lopez wasnt winnong the Giro you dont let his GC position get in the way of stage hunting
 
Still wonder how high I he would have finished in the Tour if if didn’t crash into the back of the camera moto when he was in such good form. But he wouldn’t have won GC anyways,, so it doesn’t matter much now, having had plenty of exploits to remember since then. Which is probably the way he thinks about it (if he reflects on it at all).
 
In these years at Rabobank U23, there were Mollema, Gesink, and first of all Thomas Dekker. I was almost 100% certain that Dekker would win the Tour and become one of the most successful cyclists ever.

Bas Giling was the other great hope.

Looking back, one must admit that Mollema and Gesink became good, but the most successful of the former Mini Rabos was Bernhard Kohl, afterwards!… :) He was 3rd in the TdF GC and won the mountains jersey…
 
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Kohl was doped however.. so was Dekker.

So in the end Gesink and Mollema were the most succesfully. I rate Mollema slightly higher for being more versatile than Gesink. And mentally stronger.
Tbf, Gesink had so much bad luck and injuries during his career. He also did win races like Emilia and the Canadian one day races, so I'm not even sure if you can say that Mollema was that much more versatile. I have to admit that I've always had a soft spot for Gesink, so I'm probably a bit biased.
In the end the one year younger Kruijswijk was probably the most sucessful of them, if we're speaking strictly about them as gt riders.
 
Tbf, Gesink had so much bad luck and injuries during his career. He also did win races like Emilia and the Canadian one day races, so I'm not even sure if you can say that Mollema was that much more versatile. I have to admit that I've always had a soft spot for Gesink, so I'm probably a bit biased.
In the end the one year younger Kruijswijk was probably the most sucessful of them, if we're speaking strictly about them as gt riders.
Mollema has much better palmares than Gesink and both have much better palmares than Kruijswijk. Even in grand tours, Kruijswijk hasn‘t won anything.
 
He‘s been riding Grand Tours for twelve or 13 years now, and achieved at least one Top-10 stage result in every single one of them! He‘s rather unspectacular, but he‘s so strong…!
Impressive statistic. The only riders I can find having more grand tours with a top-10 stage finish in all are Robbie McEwen (26) and Ján Svorada (24).
 

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