Lidl-Trek
Strengths:
Bauke Mollema is a veteran Dutch climber who races for the Lidl-Trek men’s team.
Considered one of the most all-round and versatile riders within the peloton, Mollema has used his climbing skills to win two stages of the Tour de France, a stage in the Vuelta a España and secure top-10 results overall in all three of cycling’s Grand Tours. Mollema is also a former winner of Il Lombardia and the Clásica San Sebastián.
The 2007 winner of the Tour de l’Avenir, Mollema turned professional in 2008 with the Rabobank team. He finished third in the Vuelta a España in 2011, secured the points classification and looked like a possible contender for the Tour de France. Injuries and bad luck held him back at times but his high level of consistency saw him competing for the top honours across several formats of racing.
He joined Trek Factory Racing in 2015 and finished seventh in his first Tour de France for the American team. Two years later he finished seventh in the Giro d’Italia before winning the first of his two Tour de France stage wins. Fifth on GC followed at the Giro in 2019 before he became the first Dutch winner of Il Lombardia since Hennie Kuiper in the early 1980s. A second Tour de France stage followed in 2021, along with fourth in the men’s road race at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Mollema is contracted to Lidl-Trek until the end of 2026.
Trek's aero road bike has changed a lot since Mollema started riding it back in 2015
Trek's climbing bike is one of the lightest in the WorldTour peloton
Jumbo-Visma are catching the headlines for their 1x use, but Lidl-Trek are also testing the set-up
Get the latest, most entertaining and best informed news, reviews, challenges, insights, analysis, competitions and offers - straight to your inbox