"He sprints just to trigger me": Groenewegen finds new fire with Kittel at Unibet Rose Rockets

Dylan Groenewegen has officially opened a new chapter in his career, joining the Unibet Rose Rockets this winter after a four-year tenure with Team Jayco AlUla. The 32-year-old Dutchman, a winner of six Tour de France stages, arrives as the undisputed leader of a project still under construction. But he isn't doing it alone; he has the formidable figure of Marcel Kittel in his corner, pushing him (literally and figuratively) to be faster.

Speaking to Wielerflits, Groenewegen revealed just how hands-on Kittel has been since his arrival. “For me it is quite easy because the line with Marcel is very short,” Groenewegen said. “We call each other almost every week to go through things, about equipment, about meetings, or focused sprint sessions.”

This collaboration intensified during winter training camps, as Kittel occasionally dusted off his own sprinting legs to ensure Groenewegen is operating at maximum capacity. “During lead-out sessions they sometimes put someone in my wheel with a sprint,” Groenewegen explained. “So in that last second you give just a little bit extra. Purely to trigger me. That is nice and very challenging for me.”

Groenewegen is perfectly aware that he has been signed as the face of the Unibet Rose Rockets project. With a roster populated by young talents, all eyes are on the Dutchman to deliver top-tier results.

“That pressure is there, but that is allowed. I like it,” he stated. “They really want to show something. That triggers me as well. I feel a strong urge to prove myself, to win, and above all to be the best version of myself.”

He views the 2026 season as a necessary reset following a year that left him hungry for more. “Last season was not bad, but it was often second place. In the Tour it did not fall right,” he admitted. “Training looks very good. I want to be the best version of myself. It really looks like that.”

Groenewegen’s season will beginn early, with a debut scheduled for January 25 in Valencia. From there, he will tackle a program designed to maximize his winning chances: Etoile de Bessèges, Clásica de Almería, and a block of Belgian one-day races including Scheldeprijs. Later in the spring, he targets the 4 Jours de Dunkerque and the Baloise Belgium Tour. “We can choose races that suit me well. That works for me right now,” he noted.

However, the elephant in the room remains the Tour de France. As a ProTeam, Unibet Rose Rockets relies on a wildcard invitation to participate in the world's biggest race. Groenewegen remains hopeful but realistic about the situation.

“That would be nice. A great challenge with this team,” he said of a potential Tour start. “When I signed, I knew there was a chance we would not go. Of course it would be a disappointment. It is the biggest race there is.”

Whether he ends up riding the Tour or not, Groenewegen clearly knows what his main ambitions for the season are. “Last season was not bad, but it was often second place. Training looks now very good. I want to be the best version of myself. It really looks like that.”