Bauke Mollema Ends Professional Cycling Career at Il Lombardia After Two Decades
Bauke Mollema will end his 20-year professional cycling career at the age of 39 by riding the final grueling 239 kilometers of the Ronde van Lombardije from Bergamo to Como, nos.nl reported. The Dutch rider enters the Italian autumn monument targeting a unique record for the race’s most appearances, while reflecting on two decades in the professional peloton that included victory at the same race in 2019.
“This is the dreamed farewell race,” Mollema said, according to nos.nl. “For years I had it in my head that this should be the farewell. In the races of recent days I didn’t want to take any risk. Suppose you crash and have to miss Lombardy.”
Record-Breaking Appearance at the Race of the Falling Leaves
Mollema’s start at Il Lombardia marks his 18th appearance in the historic Italian one-day race since his debut in 2007, breaking the tie he currently shares with Italian rider Gianni Faresin, nos.nl reported. The Lidl-Trek rider acknowledged that sustaining a career at the highest level requires continuous sacrifices that he no longer wishes to make as his body resists the physical toll.
“The cycling is getting harder and harder, especially at the highest level, and to be able to participate at the front you have to make sacrifices,” Mollema said, as reported by nos.nl. “At some point you don’t want that anymore. Then you just want to lead a normal life.”
The Dutch rider turned professional in 2008 with Rabobank before moving to Trek Factory Racing—now known as Lidl-Trek—after 2014, Fiets Media & Events reported. Across his career, Mollema secured notable victories including Il Lombardia and individual stages at the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, alongside a victory at San Sebastián in 2016.
Theater Celebration Planned in Utrecht Following Retirement
Beyond his final race in Italy, Mollema is slated as a special guest at the upcoming theater show “De Laatste Etappe” in Utrecht, an expanded end-of-season event combining live interviews, music, and the presentation of cycling awards, Fiets Media & Events reported. The event merges what was previously a private National Cycling Gala with a public-facing talkshow featuring prominent figures from the peloton.
For his final competitive outing, Mollema enters the race dealing with recent bronchitis symptoms and intends to support Lidl-Trek teammates Giulio Ciccone, Quinn Simmons, and Juan Ayuso. He has rented the same restaurant in Como that he used to celebrate his 2019 victory with Laurens ten Dam, planning a final dinner with family, parents, and friends.
Bauke Mollema Breaks Il Lombardia Appearance Record
Which team does Bauke Mollema ride for in his final race?
Mollema closes his career competing for Lidl-Trek, the squad he joined after 2014 after starting his professional career with Rabobank in 2008, Fiets Media & Events reported.
What record does Mollema set at Il Lombardia?
By taking the start in Bergamo, Mollema breaks the record for the most career appearances at Il Lombardia, moving past the 17 starts he previously shared with Italian rider Gianni Faresin, nos.nl reported.
What are Mollema’s most significant career victories?
Alongside his 2019 victory at Il Lombardia and his 2016 win at San Sebastian, Mollema claimed individual stage victories in both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, Fiets Media & Events reported.
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