Groenewegen explains surprise transfer to Unibet Tietema Rockets: “It's been a long journey”

Earlier this summer, Dylan Groenewegen confirmed one of the most surprising transfers of the 2025 season: a move from Team Jayco AlUla to Unibet Tietema Rockets. The 32-year-old sprinter, a six-time Tour de France stage winner, leaves behind a long spell at WorldTour level to join one of the youngest ProTeams in the peloton. For the Rockets, founded only in 2023 under a Dutch license and now registered in France, the signing represents the most significant arrival in their short history, and a bold statement of intent.

Groenewegen himself admitted the move might have surprised some fans, but for him, it was the right call. "It might be a bit surprising to the outside world, but I'm very happy about it,” he told In De Leiderstrui. “As you can see in the video, it's been a long journey. But the most important thing is that we've reached a solution, and I'm very happy about that. I'm entering a new environment with a lot of ambition, and I definitely still have that ambition."

Part of the attraction, Groenewegen explained, was the different culture he found at Unibet Tietema Rockets. "I find the approach at Unibet Tietema Rockets very refreshing. It's all about winning, of course, but there's so much more to it than that. They approach things a little differently than most teams, and that fresh air was important to me." For a rider with more than a decade at the top level, the shift in environment could prove revitalizing at this stage in his career.

Groenewegen has also been impressed by the team’s progress since its foundation. "They've really made some serious progress this year. You can see that with a rider like Lukas Kubis: their training is really on point. The team probably still needs to grow a bit in depth, but they're working hard on that now. There's a lot of great things to come."

For team founder Bas Tietema, the signing was about more than securing a marquee name. “It’s not that we just wanted to sign a big name,” Tietema explained. “But Dylan understood our vision and wanted to be part of this project. His hunger to win, combined with his belief in our vision, makes him the right man in the right place.” Bringing in a proven sprinter at Groenewegen’s level demonstrates the seriousness of their ambitions, but also highlights their commitment to building with riders who align with the team’s philosophy. This will certainly be a collaboration to watch in 2026.