Interview with Dylan Groenewegen: The dream of winning a Tour stage with the Unibet Rose Rockets
Andreas Kublik
· 28.01.2026
TOUR: You have already won six stages of the Tour de France in your career. Now you have switched to the Unibet Rose Rockets team, which as a second-class international team has to hope for invitations to the big races. Why did you still decide to make the switch?
DYLAN GROENEWEGEN: I had a few meetings with the team last year, it feels really good there, almost like a family. I can say what I want and they can tell me anything. So there is a very close contact. Together we can build something great. And that's exactly what was important to me: to build something and give my best again.
The team has a licence as a Pro Team and has to hope for a relatively short-term invitation as a wild card for the big races for the time being. Was that not an obstacle?
That's right, it's not yet one hundred per cent certain whether we will even take part in a Grand Tour (Giro, Tour or Vuelta; editor's note). We can only do our best. I know that we are a bit smaller than a World Tour team. But I like the race programme that we already have until July. I'm really happy about this opportunity to realise my full potential.
A love song on YouTube?
The way you made contact and held the talks before signing the contract was somewhat unusual. You can see this on the team's internet channels. Can you describe in a few words from your perspective how this came about?
It almost started as a joke, even though that might not be the right choice of words. Yes, I already had a bit of background information, but as you can see in the video, we sent each other messages and started talking. First about everything and nothing. Then we also talked about the contract and it became more and more serious. It was up to me whether I saw the good opportunities in the team.
The team's appearance, the way they work - there is a lot that is unusual about the team that has evolved from the Tour de Tietema YouTube channel. How do you experience it?
Yes, I think the media work - and if you look at the social media channels - it's different from other teams. Most teams only make videos about cycling. This team, on the other hand, also makes funny videos and shows the humorous side of the training camps and races. I also like the website. Nevertheless, it is a professional team. We want to develop further and train seriously. But it's also important to show younger people or people who don't know cycling that well yet how exciting cycling can be. But at the end of the day, we ride for results. In that respect, it's no different from the other teams.
The three team founders Bas Tietema, Josse Wester and Devin van der Wiel originally followed the Tour de France as fans and Youtubers. They are known among the professional cyclists because they have been handing out pizza to the riders after the final stage on the Champs-Élysées for years and have been very well received. Could you ever have imagined that you would be able to work with these guys in a serious team?
No, I couldn't have imagined that it would become so serious and that they could start a professional team. It started with them making a song about me. That was back in 2019, but after that they were mainly active on YouTube and made videos.
In the accompanying video, the current team boss Bas Tietema performed the song "Dylan Groenewegen" on hay bales, which was also played on radio stations in the Netherlands. You could see it as a first flirtation with you...
Only then did they start the cycling team. In 2024, they made a video with Josse Wester, one of the owners. He wore the same clothes as me, the same helmet, the same sunglasses, rode my bike and gave interviews like me. Yes, those are the funny videos. In 2024 they had a cycling team, but only at Continental level, a smaller team. But last year I saw that they were making progress. And then last year it got more and more serious. At some point I said: "Yeah, sure, let's just do it and believe in our big dream." And now I'm in the team.
Rivals become colleagues: Collaboration with sprint coach Marcel Kittel
An important part of the Unibet Rose Rockets project is also the new sprint coach: Marcel Kittel, the most successful German at the Tour de France with 14 stage wins. You used to sprint against each other - what is your connection?
Marcel was one of the strongest sprinters, he proved that at the Tour and Giro, he won a lot of races. He was really hard to beat. I won my first stage at the Tour in 2017 (the 21st in Paris on the Champs-Élysées; editor's note) - but he had already gone home by then. But he had already won five stages before that.
Now he has joined the team especially for you as a sprint coach ...
That's really nice for me. He takes a lot off my hands, explains everything to the younger members of the team and organises the meetings. So I can concentrate on the training sessions with the sprint train and on myself. I like him as a sprint coach, also in terms of looking after the equipment. So, I'm really motivated. The team is really motivated - and that's a pretty good combination.
What is your approach, your wish for a sprint?
I like high-speed sprints, just like Marcel liked them. Sure, he's a bit taller and therefore stronger than me (1.77 metres and 70 kilograms compared to 1.88 metres and 82 kilograms; editor's note). I'm a bit smaller, but we're similar sprinter types. We like high speeds. We both like to have a really good sprint train in front of us.
What are your goals?
I want to show my best side and get back to my best level. We're on the right track and I think I'm close to my best form again. The big dream together with the team is to win a stage at the Tour de France.
Do you really feel ready for it? The Tour de France 2025 in the Jayco-AlUla jersey was disappointing. 13th place was your best result...
Before the Tour I felt good, the races went well, I won ...
They celebrated stage wins in the Tour of Slovenia and the Tour of Hungary. But then not much worked out.
I got a bit ill during the tour. I didn't feel one hundred per cent fit. I had a few second places at the end of the season. I hope we can turn them into victories again soon. The signs are green.
The first highlight of the season could be Milan-San Remo. The wildcards for the race have not yet been allocated. Would the race be interesting for you in principle?
Difficult. On the positive side, it is possible for a sprinter to win, guys like Cavendish have proven that. But the leading groups at the end of the race are getting smaller and smaller. If you look at the last few races, the last few years: There are more and more often only three, four guys left. And I'm just not good enough at climbing to be able to follow guys like Pogacar or Mathieu van der Poel. You have to say, it's currently difficult for a sprinter to win this race as a pure sprinter like me.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
