Bauke Mollema: "One moment, one mistake..."

Bauke Mollema will focus on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games after a tearful Tour de France that slipped through his fingers days out from Paris.

One bad Tour moment cost Bauke Mollema a possible podium place. Source: Getty Images

The 29-year-old had been sat second overall behind race leader Chris Froome (Sky) for a week before he crashed and despite a desperate chase dropped to 10th on Friday. He lost further ground on the rain-soaked penultimate stage to Morzine on Saturday and now sits 11th.

Speaking at the start of stage 20, Mollema was still mentally and physically resigning to the state of affairs in the Alps that marred what was otherwise a successful Tour campaign.

“The body is OK, just some pain in the hip. Mentally I think it’s harder to prepare after yesterday [Friday],” he said. “It was a big disappointment of course. It’s not the way you want to end the Tour but that’s how it is. One moment, one mistake, maybe going too fast, I don’t know. I was on the ground so that’s a pity

“Until yesterday it was a big success,” he added when asked to reflect on the state of affairs before the crash.

“I think I maybe have to look at it like that and take the good things out of it. I know I can fight for the podium until the end. Now the podium is gone but I think that’s something for the future to keep in mind.”

Mollema ruled out a redemption mission at the Vuelta a Espana and named the August Olympics as his next target that he is for now battered but clearly has legs for.

“I think the course will suit me a lot,” he said.