While Tom Dumoulin has professed his love for Italy and confirmed he will again target the Giro d’Italia in 2018, fellow Dutchman Bauke Mollema has told Cyclingnews that he will return to focus on the Tour de France as protected team leader at Trek-Segafredo.
Mollema targeted the 2017 Giro d’Italia, finishing seventh overall. He admits to making mistakes with his build-up and race schedule, convinced that he more suited to the heat and pressures of the Tour de France in July than the demands of the Giro d’Italia.
Mollema’s track record seems to confirm that. He has ridden the Tour de France seven times during his 11-year career, with three top-10 results. In 2016 he was second overall until a crash on the final mountain stage 18 to Megeve meant he slipped to eleventh in Paris.
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The presence of Alberto Contador at Trek-Segafredo for the 2017 season sparked Mollema’s change of programme and he rode the Tour de France in support of the Spaniard with freedom to target stage victories. While Contador struggled to be an overall threat and win a stage, Mollema enjoyed a big day out on stage 15, winning alone in Le Puy-en-Velay after aggressive day in the break.
His loyalty to Trek-Segafredo’s cause and the team failing to sign another big-name Grand Tour rider after Contador's sudden retirement decision means that Mollema is again team leader for the Tour de France. Gianluca Brambilla will lead the squad at the Giro d’Italia, with the likes of Pete Stetina, Jarlinson Pantano and Markel Irizar set to support Mollema at the Tour de France.
It is a well-known path that Mollema is happy to follow again.
Consistency in 2017
Aiming for the exclusive Grand Tour contenders club
Season debut in Mallorca
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