"I feel like a little boy winning his first race" - Marcel Kittle thrilled with new role at Unibet Rose Rockets, returning Groenewegen praises 'fantastic job'

Dylan Groenewegen has ridden his first race for the Unibet Rose Rockets and it couldn't have gone any better. The Dutch sprinter has taken his first win since June and had a perfect collective job and leadout to help him win the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana, under the guidance of Marcel Kittel in the team car.

"It's really great to start the season like this with a new team. I think we did very well. It was a tough start, but we managed to stay up front," Groenewegen said in a post-race interview. "After that, we controlled the race, which was perfect." The Spanish race featured a difficult start with the ascent of the Coll de Rates and a few other climbs that are familiar to the riders who train in the area, but featured a pan-flat finale heading north towards Valencia through the coast.

The risk of echelons is always high in the area and was seized, by Unibet themselves and Soudal - Quick-Step - the two teams with the main favourites, Grroenewegen and Paul Magnier. "When the wind picked up, we accelerated and formed echelons. We rode with four riders, which was ideal to put me in the best possible position". The team had several men in the front group and executed a textbook leadout, with Groenewegen's right-hand man Elmar Reinders also proving his worth with a perfectly timed move, which also saw him finish fourth on the day.

"Winning like this is the best way to kick off the season. Yesterday we did a fantastic job with Lukas (Kubis at the Gran Premio Castellon, ed.) finishing third, and taking the win today is incredible. It's a great start for the team and for me. We can be really happy and proud of ourselves". With this result, the team was also able to score 195 UCI points, which will not be meaningless in its future fight for the wildcards.

Marcel Kittel in the meantime, now the team's sprint advisor, was in the team car in Valencia and helped the team guide itself through the city and into their first win of the year. It was a thrilling moment for the German, himself a former top sprinter.

"What a rollercoaster today! First race for me in the car, coaching the @rocketscycling on the radio through a hard day of racing," Kittel wrote in an Instagram post. "After blowing everything to pieces in the echelon, the team brought Dylan Groenewegen in a perfect position for a victory!"

"Congrats to everyone from the whole team with this fantastic start. I feel like a little boy winning his first race!! So happy with this team effort. Committed to one goal and plan! This is big for our fantastic group of people that make the Rockets who they are! Hungry for more!"

In second place was Paul Magnier, the second male rider who has won the most last season. He wasn't able to open up his tally for 2026 yet, however he was able to put on a strong performance and earn a runnner-up spot on the day.

“The last part of the race was really hectic with the echelons, but I had some nice support from the team," Magnier said in a press release. "I could have done a bit better in the final kilometer, but to be on the podium in my first race of the season is a good result and shows that I’m on track for the Classics.”