Unibet Tietema Rockets sign Wout Poels as they make push on Tour de France wildcard
CyclingThursday, 23 October 2025 at 10:56
Unibet Tietema Rockets is looking for a potential wildcard for the 2026 Tour de France and other big races, and this winter has seen a big bet on some strong and popular Dutch riders. After the signing of Dylan Groenewegen, Wout Poels is now also joining the ProTeam.
Considering they were 30th in the 3-year long UCI rankings charts, it is possible for them to be invited, whilst the team puts a lot of focus on its social media and fan interaction to boost their chances. Poels, winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2016 and stages in the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, won the overall title in the Tour of Turkey and a stage this season.
The 38-year old veteran has signed a one-year deal, after completing a one-year deal with the XDS Astana Team where he got freedom to chase his own results throughout the year, although finding increasing difficulty in a peloton that does not stop evolving in the mountainous terrain.
About a decade ago however, the Dutchman himself was close to the top, and for many years served as Chris Froome's right-hand man in many of his Grand Tours wins - besides the results he would achieve for himself.
The highlights of Poels' career
Wout Poels has enjoyed a distinguished career in professional cycling, with wins and podium finishes in top-level events. His best results include his victory in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2016 and the overall classification of the Vuelta a Andalucía in 2022.
He has also achieved stage victories in the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana, both in 2023, as well as in Tirreno-Adriatico (2015), Volta a Catalunya (2016), Paris-Nice (2018), Critérium du Dauphiné (2019), and the Tour of the Basque Country (2014). He has also won stages at the Tour of Britain in four editions (2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018) and won the overall title at the Tour of Turkey in 2025.
Wout Poels on the Alto de l'Angliru. @Sirotti
Read also
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- What does he need to pay Pogi to lead him out?Veganpotter04-12-2025
- Ayuso is not a surprise if you look at his previous 5yrs.Veganpotter04-12-2025
- What do you mean?BenAflec04-12-2025
- Just making the note that it’s actually closer to 120 because most of it is consumed in the first 4 hrs, not evenly across 5 hrs up until the finish.crharnishphd04-12-2025
- WVA dropped TP and his bad knee.Cyclingnut04-12-2025
- Everyone shouts "rider x" is getting better and could beat Pogacar... Tadej is still improving year on year too.....slappers6604-12-2025
- It's not a big blow for Pogacar. Today, Pogacar relies on a close, increasingly Slovenian circle of experts. Among them, the central figure is his longtime friend Ziga Jerman, who took on the role of masseur in 2025. Jerman has known Pogačar since before his global fame, when they cycled together at the Ljubljana club Rog, so Elguezabal’s departure does not pose a threat for Pogi but rather marks the end of a very successful chapter. UAE will have to fill the gap in its professional staff, but for Pogi, this departure will not play an important role.NikkoNicco04-12-2025
- OK, enough of this BS. No one went to college or university from kindergarten. First, Remco must graduate from high school with excellent results to meet with the professor Pogacar in university and to be in same room with him. But you see, Pogi the Great also has a PhD (doctorate in cycling). In 2026, I want to see that success from Remco in high school, because I haven't seen it in these 7 years.NikkoNicco04-12-2025
- calling him a star in cross before he beats MVDP or WVA is also a big stretch.mij04-12-2025
- I think once he's the undisputed leader in a race, he can become more consistent than he was in the past.Ride197404-12-2025
Loading
😳 We needed special techniques... HERE IS WOUT! 🚀 It’s true. @WoutPoels is a Rocketeer.
Write a comment