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Unibet Rose Rockets is bringing its pioneering content-driven vision of cycling to the 2026 Giro d’Italia.
After a shock snub by organizers of the Tour de France, the upstart squad was handed a golden ticket to the Corsa Rosa for what will be the first grand tour in its very short history.
With experienced winners like Dylan Groenewegen, Wout Poels, and Victor Lafay on the roster, the Rockets are expected to bring drama to the racing this May.
But what the team’s savvy squad of content creators does off the bike will be equally intriguing.
Team owner Bas Tietema built the squad out of a YouTube project and has remained committed to a fan-focused, Instagram-friendly vision of pro cycling ever since.
In a team statement and accompanying online video (of course), the Dutch-born, French-registered ProTeam outlined two goals for its first ever grand tour.
“With strong ambitions both on and off the bike, the Rockets aim to contribute to the race with aggressive racing and high-quality content that connects new audiences to the sport,” read the note.
Long-running Italian teams Bardiani CSF and Polti-VisitMalta were also handed invites by organizers RCS on Friday.
Unibet Rose Rockets promise racing and engagement: ‘Fully committed to making an impact’
The Rockets’ invite to the Giro d’Italia marks the high-point of a string of recent wild card call-ups.
The team will also see racing through the classics, including at Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix after it was handed the seal of approval by organizing bodies.
But it’s not always been easy for the Rockets.
There was mass consternation when the team was overlooked by ASO for the Tour de France wildcard last month. The squad’s online popularity and strong early-season results had made it seem a certainty.
At the time, Tietema vowed he wouldn’t give up his grand tour dream.
Now, three weeks later, The Rockets are now shooting for the sky – and the pink jersey – at the Giro d’Italia.
“We are not going to the Giro d’Italia just to participate: we are going there to compete. Our clear objective is to win a stage, and naturally the first stage stands out,” Tietema said on Friday. “It’s a unique sprint opportunity where you potentially can take the pink jersey.
“That prospect motivates the entire team enormously.”
The Giro’s Grande Partenza through Bulgaria on May 8 offers grizzled bunch sprinter Groenewegen an outside chance at bringing Unibet Rose Rockets some rosa on debut.
“From day one, we want to be visible, ride offensively and we will be fully committed to making an impact,” Tietema promised.
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