A second chance at the top level: Unibet Rose Rockets sign one of 2026’s biggest French surprises

Axel Mariault will return to the professional ranks in 2027 after Unibet Rose Rockets announced the signing of the 28-year-old Frenchman from CIC Pro Cycling Academy. For Mariault, the move is the next step in a career that has already taken him from the French amateur scene to the WorldTour, back down to the continental level and now towards another opportunity at the higher level.

The Frenchman has spent the past two seasons rebuilding his career with the team where he had previously developed, and his performances in 2026 have made the return difficult to ignore.

Mariault claimed his first professional victory at the Tour de l'Ain in July, finished second overall in the race and added another strong stage-race performance with fifth overall at the Tour du Limousin in August. He also accumulated a series of top-10 and top-15 results throughout the year.

His final race before the move was announced was the Tour de Luxembourg, which concluded on Sunday. Mariault had already made an impression on the opening stage, finishing sixth in the uphill sprint won by Mathieu van der Poel and arriving in the same time as the Dutchman. He was 11th in the final stage, finishing 26th on the overall.

Mariault's path to the top level was not particularly straightforward. Born in Liffré, Brittany, in 1998, he developed with Team U Nantes Atlantique and took a major step forward in 2021 by becoming French amateur road race champion.

His breakthrough results continued in 2022. Racing for U Nantes Atlantique, he finished fourth on a stage of the Tour du Limousin, fifth on a stage of the Tour de l'Ain and ninth overall at the Tour du Limousin. He also finished sixth on a stage of the Tour Alsace and 17th at the French elite road race championships. Those performances earned him a first WorldTour contract with Cofidis for 2023 and 2024.

Cofidis described him at the time as a rider capable of combining climbing and punchy racing, while his results suggested a rider particularly suited to hilly one-day races and short stage-race climbs. His first season at WorldTour level produced several respectable results, including seventh on a stage of the Saudi Tour, fifth on a stage of the Tour du Limousin and sixth on a stage of the Tour of Guangxi, where he eventually finished 12th overall.

His second season brought his best WorldTour result, sixth at the 2024 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, alongside top-10 finishes at Classic Loire Atlantique and the Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia. But he never established himself as a regular leader or consistent top-level scorer, and after two seasons Cofidis and Mariault went their separate ways.

That meant a considerable step backwards for the Frenchman. Instead of moving to another professional team, he returned to the continental level with CIC-U-Nantes for 2025.

Mariault immediately became one of CIC's leading riders in 2025, finishing third overall at the Tour Alsace and third at La Polynormande, while also taking 10th overall at the Tour de l'Ain.

Those results provided the foundation for his breakthrough 2026 campaign. He began the year with seventh place at the Classica Camp de Morvedre and seventh overall at the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes, before adding 10th places at both the Classic Grand Besançon Doubs and the Grand Prix de Morbihan. His consistency continued into the summer with seventh overall at La Route d'Occitanie and ninth at the French elite road race championships.

His best moment of the season came at the Tour de l'Ain. Mariault entered the final stage in contention for the overall classification and ultimately won the stage at Lélex-Monts-Jura, beating Markel Beloki in the sprint after the favourites had neutralised each other on the final climb. Beloki retained the overall victory, leaving Mariault second overall, but the stage win was Mariault's first victory as a professional.

He then finished fifth overall at the Tour du Limousin, including second on the third stage, before arriving at the Tour de Luxembourg in September. He is expected to participate in a few more races of the French calendar before putting an end to his spell with CIC Pro Cycling.

Unibet Rose Rockets now represents the next stage of his revival. The Dutch-rooted team, racing with a French licence, has made Mariault its first announced signing for 2027. The team is continuing to strengthen its roster as it develops at ProTeam level, and Mariault brings WorldTour experience combined with a recent return to form.

He will also join a team with a growing French contingent and a calendar in which his characteristics should have opportunities. Mariault has shown his ability on rolling terrain, short climbs and demanding stage-race finales, while his results over the past two seasons prove that he can contribute both in one-day races and general-classification battles.