Major role change for Bas Tietama at Rockets - Founder steps away from sporting responsibilities amid management structure changes ahead of 2027
Cycling
Unibet Rose Rockets founder Bas Tietema is set to step away from the sporting side of the team ahead of the 2027 season. Part of the growing team's founding, the former rider will focus instead on non-sporting duties as the team continue to evolve.
Since its founding in 2023, the team has risen through the ranks from Continental level to becoming a ProTeam. The 2026 season has been their most successful in their history with big name arrivals and a Giro d'Italia debut.
Tietema will now place his his focus to partnerships, working with the media and promoting the team as his responsibilities on the sporting side have diminished with the growing expertise among the staff following the arrivals such as Roger Hammond and Marcel Kittel.
Speaking about the change in duties, the Dutchman stated that's not a step backward but more an adjustment of focus as he insisted that he had not been involved heavily in the team's race plans this season.
"We need to divide responsibilities more effectively if we want to continue growing as a team. I don't see this as a step backwards, but as a step forwards," he told Wielerflits this past weekend.
Unibet Rose Rockets
Tietema's role changes as team grows bigger
"I was already barely involved in the team's race plans over the past year."
His main responsibilities will include maintaining and growing their sponsorships, managing the public-facing side of the squad such as their media relations, fan relations and commercial endeavours.
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Dylan Groenewegen and Wout Poels were among the high-profile riders joining the team this season as they ramped up their efforts to compete at cycling's top table. The ambitious project's goals include rising to WorldTour level in the coming seasons and growing their influence among cycling fans.
The team have taken ten victories in the 2026 season, including a World Tour one-day win with Groenewegen's Tour of Bruges triumph in spring.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- See, you can write a sensible comment without just slagging off everyone else! Well done!👏😆 🫣Lozza12-10-2026
- Seixas best chance is obviously UAE. They are the best team in history of the sport and they developed pogacar into the goat. They also developed Del Toro to be nr 2 in world. Seixas would become unstoppable at UAE. Lets see if Seixas stays at decathlon but if UAE comes knocking its impossible to say no. Barcelone and real madrid combined into one team, thats UAE in cycling it feels like..miguel12-10-2026
- I think he does or goes to whichever team gives him the scope to become the rider everyone thinks he'll be when Tadej stops.. that simpleslappers6612-10-2026
- I remember at one time he was mentioned in the same breath as Seixas. no more. Onley has a lot of work to do to be deserving of that.mij12-10-2026
- I hope he goes to Bahrain-Victorious to mentor Jakob
Rafionain-Glas12-10-2026 - I hope he stays! Cycling is more fun with Primoz, even if he is not winning.mij12-10-2026
- yes for sure, there will be more chances for him at Euro than Lombardia. I wonder if that emotion wasn't also because he knows he has now been eclipsed by a younger rider w/o his goals being checked off. At least when Seixas over takes Tadej someday, Tadej will have accomplished his major goals. He still has Roubaix left, but Seixas isn't a threat there. And he should find a year to get Vuelta. Remco now is behind at least 2 riders w/o ever having won a Tour, one monument to his name, and the next few World Championships are not Remco friendly. I would still take Remco's wins though!!!mij12-10-2026
- Remco was at 100%. He raced as expected: 15th best on the climbs and then best in the sprint of the chasing group. Exactly what he did at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where he was on similar form. His win in Amstel was comparable to Quebec or the EurosRafionain-Glas12-10-2026
- "inside the tent pissing out" is an idiom based on a quote from President Lyndon Johnson. Not sure if you're saying you don't understand the term. The full phrase is "it's probably better to have him inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in."wrsty12-10-2026
- Pissing out?? Who is forcing them? They can follow Ayuso's example. And they can be leaders on another team. Ayuso's example again. :)MajorPayne12-10-2026
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