There are plenty of reasons that make Il Lombardia 2026 nothing short of unmissable. It is the final Monument of the season, Tadej Pogačar will leave the throne vacant after five years of dominance, and it will also mark Bauke Mollema’s final appearance as a professional cyclist.
Approaching his 40th birthday after 19 years in the professional peloton, the Dutchman had already announced at the beginning of the year that this would be his final season at the highest level. “Time flies when you’re having fun,” he wrote on social media in February. “From my local club NWVG to Rabobank/Belkin and finally Lidl-Trek. I’m incredibly grateful to have lived my dream for 20 years. Now it’s time for the final chapter!”.
All that remained was to choose the most proper stage for his farewell performance. And what better setting than the Race of the Falling Leaves? The very Classic he won in 2019, a victory that stands above all others among his 18 professional wins in terms of prestige and significance. The finish line in Como will be the last of his career, and there is little doubt that riders and fans alike will give him the send-off he deserves after such a remarkable career.
That Il Lombardia triumph seven years ago was the crowning achievement of a career in which Mollema proved himself both a leader and a loyal domestique, a rider capable of winning races but also willing to personal ambitions aside in pursuit of a greater team goal. His palmarès also includes two Tour de France stage victories, a stage win at the Vuelta a España and the 2016 Clásica de San Sebastián.
The Giro d’Italia was the first Grand Tour he tackled, at the age of 23. He went on to finish second at Tirreno Adriatico in 2015, behind another recently retired rider, Nairo Quintana. And just last year, at the age of 38, he finished third at GranPiemonte, won by Isaac Del Toro, a rider 17 years his junior. His victories on Italian soil also include the Trofeo Laigueglia, GP Bruno Beghelli and a stage of the Settimana Coppi e Bartali.
But for Mollema, nothing quite compares to Il Lombardia. So enjoy your last dance, Bauke!
