2021 is Bauke Mollema’s 14th season in the professional peloton, and the Dutchman marked it with his second stage win at the Tour de France. In an exclusive interview with Procycling, the Trek-Segafredo rider speaks about winning from breakaways, as well as balancing his career objectives between those break days, general classification racing and targeting one-day classics.
Despite being an understated figure in the sport, Mollema has won a monument, Il Lombardia, three Grand Tour stages, and has finished in the top 10 of a Grand Tour six times. It is the range of his performances that impress, from third at the 2011 Vuelta to winning Clásica San Sebastián in 2016.
The impressive solo attack from the day’s break on stage 14 of this year’s Tour was one of the rides of the race.
Mollema told Alasdair Fotheringham: “You have to search for the exact right moment when the others don’t expect you to attack. You have to think about what they are thinking. On the Tour stage this year, I looked down, I saw there was nobody on my wheel and I knew they’d have to work hard to get organised and react. That moment was really important.”
Matej Mohorič is another rider who excels at solo attacks. The Slovenian, under-23 world champion in 2013, looks to be living up to his potential. He triumphed on two stages at this year’s Tour de France, before finishing second at San Sebastián and overall at the Tour of Poland too.
Speaking to Kate Wagner, the Bahrain Victorious rider said: “As you get older, it starts to be harder and harder, to stay away from the family, to stay away from home, to spend time in training camps, to spend time analysing routes. And yet, you are more and more dedicated and you see that there are, for a rider like me, not that many moments when you can enjoy big, big successes now. So when it comes, it's easier to get emotional, no?”
San Sebastián, where the Slovenian finished second, is always one of the most picturesque races; we prove this with a photo feature.
Photographer Ian Walton was at the Basque race to capture the passionate and unique atmosphere. Neilson Powless triumphed in Spain’s biggest one-day event.
Australia is the latest country to feature in our State of the Nation feature. The faraway land gave us Phil Anderson and Cadel Evans, and plenty more top-level riders besides. Rupert Guinness, who also moved to Europe to pursue a career in journalism, investigates the uphill challenge that riders from the other side of the world have faced to get to the top of the sport, and how it has bred their industry and resilience.
Trixi Worrack is another rider with a lot of these qualities. She has raced as a professional since 2004. The German, who has had over 300 top ten results. told Owen Rogers why she is satisfied with her career as a whole.
There is also an exclusive interview in this month’s magazine with David Lappartient, the UCI president.
The Frenchman is running unopposed for re-election to the post, and told Jeremy Whittle about his achievements in his four years in the job so far, and what he hopes to do next.
We also take a look at cycling’s architects, the road captains. James Witts explores those riders who set the tone for a team, providing the catalyst for victory but also representing the outfit’s ethos. Meanwhile, this month’s retro feature is on the Züri-Metzgete, a classic which might have made it as the sixth monument, but didn’t. William Fotheringham investigates.
The October issue also features all our regulars, including diarists Kévin Réza, Brodie Chapman and Charlie Quarterman, as well as Dan Martin and our columnist Laurens ten Dam.
Procycling magazine: the best writing and photography from inside the world’s toughest sport. Pick up your copy in all good newsagents and supermarkets now, or pick up a Procycling subscription.
Follow @Procycling_magazine
