Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) turned 35 three weeks ago, but the Dutch rider feels that he still has many years and victories left in him, even considering the new generation of riders who have been forced to raise the bar and narrow their focus.

Morema, who has finished in the top 10 in all three Grand Tours, notes that there is now a wealth of riders who can do the same.

Morema made the podium at the 2011 Vuelta a España and finished in the top 10 at the Tour de France three years in a row from 2013 to 2015, followed by seventh and fifth places at the 2017 and 2019 Giro d'Italia. In his later years, however, his single-day results also began to develop, with a stage win at the 2017 Tour, followed by a win at the GP Brno Begueri in 2018, and wins at Il Lombardia and the Japan Cup in 2019.

After his 2020 Tour de France campaign was derailed by a crash, Mollema set his sights on a Giro-Tour double in 2021. In reality, he was a stage-hunter, and while it did not bear fruit in the Giro, it was a memorable solo victory in the Tour. A win in the Trofeo Laigueglia, an eighth in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and a fourth in the Olympic road race confirmed his direction for 2022 and beyond.

"At least next year, stage hunting will be my goal," Morema told reporters at Trek-Segafredo's training camp in Spain this week.

"In the Grand Tours and stage races, it can be a bit difficult to fight for GC. In the Grand Tours and stage races, it can be a little bit difficult to be a GC contender. There are a lot of riders who can finish in the top 10 in the Grand Tours, and even more who can do it in a week of racing."

"In one-day races, we have been very competitive the last few years. We hope to put more effort into it next year and the year after."

Morema subscribes to the idea of generational change in the sport, but resists the temptation to only recognize a few stars who have recently burst onto the scene, such as Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Pol, and Remo Evenpol.

"They are only a couple of years old, but I can say that cycling has already gradually changed over the last decade," Morema said.

"Speeds are gradually increasing and aerodynamics are becoming very important. Everything has improved, the bikes, the clothing, everything. The level has gone up in general, not only for the riders who have made a big difference. More riders are working more professionally and more riders are able to achieve really good results. There are no more easy races now."

This year, Mollema has become increasingly clear about the areas where he feels he can still excel. Therefore, his race program for 2022 will consist mainly of late-season one-day races, including the Ardennes Classics, the Giro, the Tour, and the World Championships.

He will start with the GP La Marseillaise in February, then race short French stage races such as Etoile de Besseges and the Tour du Var, defending his title in Laigueglia; in March he will compete in either Paris-Nice or Tirreno-Adriatico; in May he will race the Tour de France and the Tour de France; in May he will race the Tour de France and the Tour de France, Then, after a rest and a high-altitude camp, he will approach top form.

He will skip the Amstel Gold Race as it is usually held earlier for Paris-Roubaix, but will run La Flèche Wallonne and target Liège, where he has now finished in the top 10 three times. He will be looking for a stage win in the Giro, and he plans to do the same in the Tour, often setting the tone in his second Grand Tour of the season.

"The Giro and Tour are on my schedule for next year; I've done them three times already, in 2017, 2019, and last year, and they're always good. I won two stages in the Tour after running the Giro.

"I have motivation for that and it's a role that suits me. After the Tour, I can take a long six-week break to recover and then run one-day races in the last month or so of the season to get back into shape."

After the Tour, Mollema will compete in the Clasica San Sebastian, which he won in 2016, followed by the World Championships and finally the end-of-season Italian Classics, including Il Lombardia, despite Van der Pol admitting he will lead the Dutch team.

"I have a lot of one-day races under my belt now. I know all the tracks well and have been in that position many times in the finals. [It's important to be able to power through three or five minutes, which suits me very well. I like that kind of training."

Because of this, Morema believes he can compete for years to come. While many young athletes make a big impact in their first few years as a pro, the late 30s are beginning to look like the twilight years for pro cyclists.

"I don't expect this to be my last year," he said. 'Soon I'll be talking to the team about extending my contract. At the moment I have the idea that I can run at this level for another five years."