Bauke Mollema continues to write his story with Trek-Segafredo

Mollema, who recently finished his 20^th Grand Tour, has chosen to once again entrust the next part of his illustrious career to Trek-Segafredo, a team where he feels most at “home”.

“It’s been eight years now with the Team and I have felt really happy here since the very beginning and I still can’t imagine being anywhere else. I am really looking forward to staying with this team for the next few years. I’ve said it many times before, but it’s become like a family to me,” explained Mollema.

The next story from @BaukeMollema coming soon 👀

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“I know all the staff very well, all the riders of course, and the sponsors. We work really closely with our sponsors and especially the people at Trek. As riders, part of our job is also to help Trek develop and improve products not just for us but for the company as well. It’s maybe a little bit of a different relationship and more intense than in other teams, but I also really like that side of things here.”

As well as achieving race victories together, Mollema is also proud of the successful relationship he has built with the Team.

“I have had a few really nice race highlights here, Il Lombardia, my two Tour stages, and San Sebastián are at the top of that list. Fighting for the GC at the Tour de France in 2015, and finishing 7^th, is also a good memory. The same goes for the 2016 Tour when I was close to the podium until I crashed right in the last days and my Giro d’Italia of 2019. What I like most is the wonderful partnership I have with the Team. I have some freedom here, which is important to me as a rider,” said Mollema.

“The Team is super professional, the sponsors are super professional and provide us with the best products but still, I think I am someone who is quite independent. After being a pro rider for so many years, I know what to do and the team really trusts me. They give me the space I need when training at home but also know that when I turn up to any race I am in good form and ready. It’s nice to also have some influence in the races that I like to ride and to work with the Sports Directors to make a plan to get the best out of me.”

Mollema’s changing role in the peloton has been well documented and it’s one that he has comfortably transitioned into.

“As everyone knows, my role has changed a little bit in the last years, and it will probably change more over the next few years. When I came to this team it was mainly as a GC rider, targeting the Tour in particular. After doing that for many years, I started to focus on one day races and more recently, hunting stages in Grand Tours. I like that role and maybe, at this moment in my career, it fits me a bit better than going for the GC,” explained Mollema.

“Now, we have young riders who are better able than me to go for the GC in Grand Tours and I see another part of my role as acting as somewhat of a mentor for them. I have a lot of experience that I hope to be able to share with them and advice that I can give to help them in the future.”

For General Manager Luca Guercilena it was an easy decision to offer Mollema the opportunity to continue his career with Trek-Segafredo for four more years.

“There was no question about keeping Bauke in the Team, he has become a key member of the Trek-Segafredo family. To have him with us for the next chapter of his career, gives me confidence that the main pillars of our team will continue to hold us up at top of the cycling world,” said Guercilena.

The Dutchman is currently in his eighth year with Trek-Segafredo and over that time he has played a key role in the success of the Team with victories including Il Lombardia, Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa as well as stages at the Tour de France.

“Bauke is one of the best professional riders we’ve seen in years. He is a real fighter; a true racer and he is constantly setting a good example for the new generation. He is one of the captains of our team and I believe he can help make our team grow even stronger,” Guercilena continued.

“His racing role in the Team will be unchanged, targeting one-day races and stage hunting where I am sure he will continue to have success.”

Is this the final chapter for Mollema? He’s not ruling anything out with his love and passion for the sport still as strong as it was when he first turned professional in 2008.

“I would really like to finish my career in this team. After this contract, I will have been here 12 years already and so that’s already a really long time. I am happy with the confidence the team and the sponsors have shown in me with such a long contract. I don’t think that happens a lot for riders of my age,” explained Mollema.

“At the moment, it’s quite likely this will be my last contract but who knows what I will be thinking after four years. I’ve always said that I still feel quite young. I’ve been a professional for 15 years, but I still really like what I do. I like to train hard. I like to race. I like to be competitive and get the best out of my body, I am constantly trying to improve and setting new goals for myself, even now.”