"Last dance": 2026 is now truly Bauke Mollema’s farewell year
He had already been considering retiring as a professional cyclist after 2026, but now the decision has been made official. Bauke Mollema will say farewell to the peloton at the end of this year — after an impressive nineteen seasons as a pro rider.
"Time flies when you’re having fun! From the local cycling club NWVG Cycling to Rabobank and Belkin, and then Lidl-Trek. I am incredibly grateful to have lived my dream for twenty years. Now it's time for my final season as a professional cyclist. One more year, one last last dance. See you on the road!" Mollema wrote on Instagram.
The experienced climber signed a four-year contract extension in 2022 with Lidl-Trek. "Right now it’s very likely this will be my last contract, but who knows how I’ll feel after four years. I’ve always said I still feel quite young. I’ve been a pro for fifteen years now, but I still really enjoy what I do. I love training hard. I love racing," he said at the time.
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In recent years, sporting successes have become rarer for Mollema, and he increasingly had to sacrifice himself for teammates like Giulio Ciccone, Mattias Skjelmose, and Jonathan Milan. Last year, he already rode his final World Championship in Rwanda, and after this season, the now 39-year-old from Groningen will retire completely.
Mollema has been riding for Lidl-Trek since 2015, which was then known as Trek Factory Racing. Since joining the team, he has secured sixteen victories, and these were no ordinary wins. He was particularly successful in the classics, with triumphs in the Clásica San Sebastián and the Giro di Lombardia.
Mollema also shone in the Tour de France, winning a stage in both the 2017 and 2021 editions. His (so far) last win dates from 2022, when he captured the Dutch national time trial championship.
