After a long detour, Alex Molenaar prepares for a 'bizarre' Tour debut with Caja Rural
The road to the Tour de France is different for everyone, but like Alex Molenaar, there are very few like him. The 26-year-old from Rotterdam was surprised when his team Caja Rural-Seguros RGA received a wildcard for the 2026 Tour, but now it’s a reality and he is on the list to race the Tour. “If they had told me this two years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Molenaar laughs to WielerFlits.
A few weeks ago, it was the question on everyone’s mind in the cycling world: which team would get the final wildcard for the 2026 Tour de France? Unibet Rose Rockets was in contention, but the ASO Tour organization ultimately chose Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, partly due to the start in Barcelona this year. A ProTeam made up mostly of Spaniards, plus a Czech, an Australian, a Portuguese, and... Alex Molenaar.
“I think we were all quite surprised,” he responds to our camera. “We knew the chance was small due to the WorldRanking, but we also knew it was going to be very tough. That it actually happened is pretty crazy for the team. Everyone was super happy, that was great.”
‘I knew these reactions would come’
There was also criticism of ASO’s choice. Many followers felt that Unibet Rose Rockets, especially after the winter’s incoming transfers (including Dylan Groenewegen, Wout Poels, and Victor Lafay), deserved the wildcard at the expense of Caja Rural. “I knew the reactions would be as they were, but that’s normal, I think,” says Molenaar. “But yeah, there’s nothing we can do about it...”
Within the Spanish team, no one approached Molenaar about the fuss, which was mostly stirred up on social media. “I actually don’t know, I haven’t spoken to anyone about it,” he admits. “But this is truly the ideal situation for the team. A start in Spain, and then the Tour de France... It couldn’t be better.”
For Molenaar, who has a Spanish mother and thus speaks fluent Spanish, a dream seems set to come true next summer. He is on the Tour de France longlist and his entire program is tailored toward a three-week cycling trip through Spain and France. “That would of course be great, I hope so,” he remains stoic.
‘You have to keep fighting’
In various hilly races over the past years, the Dutch rider has already made a name for himself with podium finishes. This spring, he was third in the GP de Marseillaise, and last year he was second in the GP Miguel Indurain behind winner Thibau Nys. And soon, Molenaar wants to play a meaningful role in the Tour as well. “That is the plan from the team and they are giving me confidence in that. That’s the plan.”
“If they had told me this two years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it, but that’s how it can go,” says Molenaar. Via the former Monkey Town team (now Parkhotel Valkenburg), he ended up at Burgos-BH. There he wasn’t allowed to move forward, after which he caught the eye at Caja Rural-Seguros RGA through the continental Electro Hiper Europa and Illes Balears Arabay. And then suddenly, the Tour is waiting. “You have to keep fighting, and then you never know...”
Teammate Iúri Leitão is full of praise for Molenaar. “He is very funny and very relaxed,” laughs the Portuguese sprinter of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA. “He is the rider I like to race with. The vibe is always good when Alex is around and I really enjoy that. He is a very complete and explosive rider. Alex is also good on short climbs and even in sprint stages he can set me up well. That makes him very complete.”
