Bauke Mollema finishes last in Strade Bianche: "I still tried to enjoy it"

Almost 23 minutes after Tadej Pogacar’s glorious finish, the very last rider crossed the line in Siena. His name? Bauke Mollema. The 39-year-old Dutchman didn’t have a good day over the white gravel roads, but still finds Strade Bianche a beautiful race. He shared this with WielerFlits afterwards.

"It’s more fun to do when you have good legs and can make a difference in the race. I didn’t have that today," said the rider from Lidl-Trek. "Still, I tried to enjoy those gravel sectors and all the spectators. And here in the city, there’s always such a great atmosphere."

Mollema definitely sees the romance of Strade Bianche. "But it’s also mainly a lot of suffering. And it’s a tricky race. You have to stay focused the whole time. There are many crashes and lots of stress. You really have to fight for your position. Especially in the first hundred kilometers. After that, it completely splits up and for me, it was a fight just to finish on time."

"There’s something about the gravel. It’s a bit romantic and historic, even though this race hasn’t been around that long. There really is no other race like it. That’s a nice experience to have."

"It never slows down anymore"
Mollema notices that cycling is getting faster and faster, even in a race like Strade Bianche. "It never slows down anymore. Average power outputs have soared in recent years. Even in smaller races, but especially in the bigger events. That’s a completely different effort. You have to push all day and basically don’t get any time to recover."

"Some riders handle that very well, but for me—especially at my age—it’s a bit more difficult," Mollema, who will retire at the end of the season, laughs. Does it feel like a long farewell tour for the experienced climber? "Not in every race. I did feel it a bit during the final stretch here in the city, but you just have to keep focused. You also don’t want to crash," he concludes.