Lidl-Trek understands Mollema's harsh comments after not making Tour selection, but explains why he was left out

Much to the disappointment of his Dutch fans, Dutchman Bauke Mollema will once again be absent from the upcoming Tour de France. The veteran cyclist has not been included in Lidl-Trek’s eight-man Tour squad, a decision that clearly didn’t sit well with him, as he revealed in an interview with the Dutch De Telegraaf. Lidl-Trek has since responded to IDLProCycling.com.

At the Dutch National Time Trial Championship in Steenbergen a week ago, Mollema had to settle for eighth place, a result he reflected on with disappointment when speaking to IDLProCycling.com. "I just didn’t have enough power," was the simple conclusion he reached afterward. "Technically and dynamically, I rode well, but I was missing 20 watts compared to what I’ve done in recent years and what I expected now. Then you’re missing a big chunk."

On the evening of Wednesday, June 19, Mollema couldn’t say much about a possible spot in his team’s Tour lineup. "I don’t know yet. I’m focusing on the Nationals first (he ultimately finished fifteenth in the road race, ed.), and we’ll see," he responded diplomatically. It later became clear that the Dutchman indeed had not been selected for the Tour de France. "This is very unfortunate because I was ready for it," he quickly reacted.

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Mollema noticed that he was in top form during this very period

"After I got sick in the Tour of Switzerland and had to drop out, I saw it coming. It’s disappointing that the team has no confidence in me. I’m honest about that," continued a candid Mollema. "I’ve been training very hard these past weeks. I even went on a high-altitude training camp in Sierra Nevada for the first time in two years. My numbers are better than ever."

Mollema said he did not engage in a discussion with the team management. "It was a decision from the team leadership, and I didn’t challenge it. They have to make the selection, and I accept that. It’s particularly frustrating because, due to the increasingly strong competition, this might have been my last chance to ride the Tour. As for motivation being gone? You could say that, yes. I don’t get motivated by racing the Tour of Wallonia or Burgos. And I don’t want to start in the Vuelta either. I didn’t enjoy it last year. I’m in top form now, and I’m not going to maintain that peak for six weeks."

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Lidl-Trek responds to Mollema's statements

Steven de Jongh, team leader at Lidl-Trek and partly responsible for the Tour squad, was not rattled by Mollema’s harsh words, as he told IDLProCycling.com. "I know how the press works and that some things can be taken out of context. A rider is allowed to be disappointed."

According to the Dutchman, there’s a straightforward reason for passing over Mollema. "Bauke went home sick from Switzerland and didn’t perform well in the time trial at the nationals. For his position on the team, we simply had a stronger rider in Julien Bernard, so that choice was easy. Julien performed well in Switzerland and finished second at the French National Championships. The fact that he doesn’t want to do the Vuelta after this was no news to us. Bauke had already indicated before the Tour that he didn’t want to ride the Vuelta and that if he wasn’t selected for the Tour, he wanted to do other races."

Mollema already mentioned that he plans to take a break. "In the coming weeks, I’m going to take a vacation with my family. Disappointments are part of top-level sports, and this year, I noticed that I was again making progress. I have a new coach, and that’s having a very positive effect. Not being allowed to ride the Tour is unfortunate and temporarily affects my motivation, but it will come back."