The official Great Bauke Mollema thread

[Havetts]

i will if you accuse Mollema of doping and then start talking about Contador doping. Which is what you did in the other thread.

Mollema dopes himself with drinks of pure awesomeness

 

[Frosty]

What are Mollema's plans for the rest of the season. Assume he is doing the Ardennes Classics but what after that? GC wise, is he just aiming at the tour or might he be off to the Giro?

 

[Red Rick]

Really? What has he accomplished last year and so far this season?

He's abandoning as much as possible, so he can say: Andy was here

 

[The Hitch]

What are Mollema's plans for the rest of the season. Assume he is doing the Ardennes Classics but what after that? GC wise, is he just aiming at the tour or might he be off to the Giro?

Nah rabo are sending all their best riders to the Tour.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

When will Andy Schleck find his niche? Time trials that don't involve time trialing?

Andy's niche is doing TT's that make sure he get's 2nd in he TDF GC.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

What are Mollema's plans for the rest of the season. Assume he is doing the Ardennes Classics but what after that? GC wise, is he just aiming at the tour or might he be off to the Giro?

he and gesink are doing tour-vuelta. that's it really.

slagter to giro with rabo, along with bos and renshaw I assume.

 

[luckyboy]

What are Kruijswijk and Ten Dam doing?

 

[Kwibus]

What are Kruijswijk and Ten Dam doing?

Kruijswijk also at the Tour. Ten Dam as well probably, but not sure.
They should've send Kruijswijk to the Giro imo.

 

[jsem94]

Kruijswijk should do the Giro-Tour double in that case.

 

[Netserk]

Is TGBM rabo-captain in the ardennes?

 

[durhamwasp]

The Dutch classic this weekend, surely Bauke will fancy a top-10 placing in this one?

 

[Gloin22]

The Dutch classic this weekend, surely Bauke will fancy a top-10 placing in this one?

His positioning is sometimes bit iffy, and Amstel is a lot about that.

Rabo has many contenders for Amstel. Breschel/Martens/Gesink and Mollema. Probably the one feeling best on the day will be the captain.

 

[Azabael]

Well, in my opinion only Mollema and Poels have enough power uphill out of all dutchies to possibly reach, say, podium when they turn toward the Cauberg as a little bunch. But they'll need superb form.

On a side note, I've seen Michel Kreder perform extra-ordinarily well in such a finish at Gran Premio Miguel Indurain in 2010, with basically holding Valderde's wheel the entire final climb. Only Rodriguez ended a few seconds in front of them. Even Valverde was impressed and afterwards asked who the hell that guy behind him was. But unfortunately it seems Kreder turned himself into a second row flat course spritner. As working on his explosiveness cost him his ability to ride uphill well. Pity.

 

[Gloin22]

Well, in my opinion only Mollema and Poels have enough power uphill out of all dutchies to possibly reach, say, podium when they turn toward the Cauberg as a little bunch. But they'll need superb form.

On a side note, I've seen Michel Kreder perform extra-ordinarily well in such a finish at Gran Premio Miguel Indurain in 2010, with basically holding Valderde's wheel the entire final climb. Only Rodriguez ended a few seconds in front of them. Even Valverde was impressed and afterwards asked who the hell that guy behind him was. But unfortunately it seems Kreder turned himself into a second row flat course spritner. As working on his explosiveness cost him his ability to ride uphill well. Pity.

Ymmm Valverde didn't ride in 2010 at all ( banned ) ? Although Michel got 2nd indeed.

 

[theyoungest]

His positioning is sometimes bit iffy, and Amstel is a lot about that.

He got the green jersey at the Vuelta, which was more thanks to positioning than anything else. He's actually quite good at it.

A bigger problem might be the fact that he's never ridden Amstel before, and neither have Breschel and Kruijswijk. Three leaders for the race who have never done it, and this for a Dutch team.

On a side note, I've seen Michel Kreder perform extra-ordinarily well in such a finish at Gran Premio Miguel Indurain in 2010, with basically holding Valderde's wheel the entire final climb. Only Rodriguez ended a few seconds in front of them. Even Valverde was impressed and afterwards asked who the hell that guy behind him was. But unfortunately it seems Kreder turned himself into a second row flat course spritner. As working on his explosiveness cost him his ability to ride uphill well. Pity.

Kreder lacks the engine to do well in hard races like this, no matter what Vaughters says. Which so far also applies to Poels and Mollema, by the way.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Rabo has many contenders for Amstel. Breschel/Martens/Gesink and Mollema. Probably the one feeling best on the day will be the captain.

They'll probably screw up and have Mollema, Breschel, Gesink and Martens take 6th, 8th, 9th and 11th or something, after chasing the break the entire day

 

[Azabael]

He got the green jersey at the Vuelta, which was more thanks to positioning than anything else. He's actually quite good at it.

A bigger problem might be the fact that he's never ridden Amstel before, and neither have Breschel and Kruijswijk. Three leaders for the race who have never done it, and this for a Dutch team.


Kreder lacks the engine to do well in hard races like this, no matter what Vaughters says. Which so far also applies to Poels and Mollema, by the way.

Depends on your definition of hard, though. Thinking of Poels ending second in l'Angliru stage of last year's vuelta. I know that's not a 250km race, but it therefore depends on what you call hard races.

 

[theyoungest]

Depends on your definition of hard, though. Thinking of Poels ending second in l'Angliru stage of last year's vuelta. I know that's not a 250km race, but it therefore depends on what you call hard races.

I mean a hard 260 km one day race. GTs, or stages in GTs, are a different story.

 

[Azabael]

I do have to note that Mollema ended 2nd at Emilia last year, which is 'only' 200k, though. And a 13th place in Lombardia the year before that. I expect Mollema to perform rather well upcoming classics, as long as his form allows him. Concerning Kreder you are absolutely right.

 

[theyoungest]

I'm not that sure about Mollema... last year he almost won Castilla y Leon, and just a few days later he had a free role in Fleche and Liege, but he was absolutely nowhere.

 

[Azabael]

I'm not sure either, but I think he has the best odds of doing well in the hilly classics. Poels? Sure, on a very good day top10. But he is too capricious.

 

[Spine Concept]

So Poels tweeted that he is riding the AGR after all. Very interested to see how he goes.

 

[durhamwasp]

Westra might have a chance in this too

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Clearly, TGBM, who could have easily won today, thought he'd gift AGR to his old teammate Freire, who will probably retire next year, and who has been trying to win this for ages. But then that clown Gilbert screwed it up and didn't even manage to finish it.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

TGBM finished his first real ardennes week, first time he really tried to peak here, with a top 10 finish in each three. 10th in the Amstel Gold, 7th in FW and 6th in LBL.
Especially today I think he was really strong. Just behind the best 4 on the roche aux faucons and most of the final between 4/6th best uphill. So finishing in a rightful spot.

At first I didn't think he'd be much of a classics rider. But he handled himself pretty well. A podium in a monument is not out of reach!