"It's what I was looking for as a rider": Marcel Kittel thrives in a more relaxed environment of Unibet Rose Rockets

It seemed as though Marcel Kittel was done with cycling when he announced his retirement half-way through the 2019 season, less than two years since he won five Tour de France sprint stages in a single edition. And indeed, the legendary German sprinter remained mostly out of cycling for the next five years, chasing other projects. However that all changed last year, when Kittel agreed to join Unibet ROSE Rockets as a sprint coach. To help former rival Dylan Groenewegen reach his best level one more time in his career, and to win Unibet's first Tour stage one day.

"My mission is to build, with the forces at hand, a train capable of placing our sprinters in the best conditions on a regular basis. It's a big challenge to pass on my experience to them without imposing my way of sprinting," he confides in an interview for Le Gruppetto.

Unlike his previous employers as a rider, where the pressure was mainly on performance, Kittel finds a notably different mindset at Unibet. Winning is just as important there, but the team staff also know how to find fun in cycling:

"I feel free, without restrictions. Fun is king here and that doesn’t stop me from being professional and ambitious. That’s what I was already looking for as a rider," Kittel assures.

Of course, the main attraction of the French/Dutch team is their star sprinter backed by Kittel. But there's many talented young riders he tries to help in their growth with just as much enthusiasm as he puts into the Groenewegen-project. There are promising all-rounders with fast finish in Lukáš Kubiš and Matyáš Kopecký. There are also young speedsters Tobias Müller, Karsten Feldmann and Ronan Augé. All under Kittel's supervision.

And the German makes it clear that he was keen on getting to know closely every single one of his co-workers upon arrival to the team: "I wanted to know the factors influencing their well-being, their personal goals, and how to align them with those of the team."

Even though Kittel is no longer in the saddle himself, he still follows every bunch sprint with great interest. In the age of data, sprinting remains for him an unpredictable art.

"It’s not an exact science: it’s raw power meeting confidence, instinct, and reading the movements of teammates and opponents. Today, we talk a lot about the aerodynamics of the bike, the rider, nutrition… Certainly, all of that develops physical performance, but take Jonathan Milan: he’s not the most aerodynamically inclined, and yet he keeps winning."

The start of the season has been pretty decent for Unibet's sprinter department. In particular thanks to Groenewegen who rediscovered his killer instinct and already won three one-day races. "I'm very happy with the first eight weeks. We mustn't forget where we've come from; we're a developing team. Our ambitions are high, and everyone is committed. Right now, we can't ask for more," says Kittel.

After the disappointment of not being selected for the Tour de France, the team received an invitation to the Giro d'Italia. It's not precisely what the team hoped for, but a Grand Tour invitation is still priceless. The plan of action had to adjust a bit, but Groenewegen will remain in center of attention.

And before that, a bunch of other races. For a team strongly tied to Benelux, the spring classics are maybe just as important of an objective. "We have to focus on our current situation, on the upcoming races. We also have goals for the Classics. Nevertheless, the Giro will be a great opportunity to show where we stand," Kittel concludes.