:quality(80)/cdn-kiosk-api.telegraaf.nl/1e947820-f433-11ea-ac6e-0218eaf05005.jpg "Report Bauke Mollema in Tour de France | Cycling")
sport">This brought an unexpected and sad end to his tenth appearance in the main cycling race of the calendar. Mollema was in thirteenth place, 2.31 minutes behind yellow jersey wearer Primoz Roglic. Although he ended up in the memorable fan ride to Lavaur in the second group last Friday and thus lost 1.21, he still believes in his chances for a high final classification. That did not change either, when he also had to concede half a minute behind on the first day in the Pyrenees. Because Bauke is Bauke: he rarely allows himself to be put off by some setbacks.
sport">It should therefore come as no surprise that on Friday morning in the spa town of Châtel-Guyon, the departure point of the very treacherous-looking mountain ride to Puy Mary, he was optimistic about the possibilities that the ride with seven climbs could bring. “I only expect the classification riders in the last ten or fifteen kilometers. When you have already covered all those kilometers at the end, anything can happen. The 4000 vertical meters cut it. I myself am fine, feel fine. Well, little has changed in the past few days, I got through the stages for the sprinters well. No, nothing strange came my way. We are going back to work, ” he said in a good mood.
Mollema was hopeful
sport">He said he hoped to go up a few more places. “If I manage to maintain this level, then I should succeed. No, I don’t look at Roglic and Pogacar, they stand out above the rest, also above Bernal, although they will probably hold back for the final week. It is clear to me that those three will fight for the overall victory this Tour. Behind it comes about ten men who fight for the other places of honor, including me. ”
sport">So it was, until disaster struck him, just on the border of the Cantal department, the race went smoothly for the GC men. There was a more or less fixed pattern: a leading group of seventeen riders rode with more than seven minutes ahead of the group with all favorites, led by Roglic’s henchmen. The supplies were barely over when the crash occurred. Bardet reached for his back, all his crew waiting for his captain; the Colombian Quintana – apparently tumbled in a ditch – got a new bike and continued his race. Mollema lay on the asphalt, moaning with pain. Looks like he broke his left wrist.
Trek must hope for Richie Porte
sport">Trek-Segafredo has to continue without the persistence, and can hope that Richie Porte – who has announced his retirement from the American team – will remain in the saddle for the remaining stages. The Tasmanian is more known as a breakaway job than Mollema, but for the time being he is doing well. He is currently in eleventh place, 1.53 behind the Slovenian commander in the rankings.
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