After Tour disappointment, good news from Italy: Unibet Rose Rockets receive Giro d’Italia wildcard

It had long been Tietema’s dream to one day line up at the Tour de France with his project. After a year at Continental level, the team moved up to the second tier, and in their third season as a ProTeam the Rockets looked well placed to receive an invitation. Instead, the Tour de France opted to invite Caja Rural–Seguros RGA, leaving the Rockets empty-handed.

It was a major blow — but it also reopened the door elsewhere. Before that Tour news broke, it was widely expected the Spanish team would appear at the Giro because they were unlikely to receive a wildcard for the Vuelta a España. Once Caja Rural were headed to France, it looked as though a place could free up in Italy. And with riders like Dylan Groenewegen and Wout Poels on the roster, the Rockets were the only serious candidate still without a Grand Tour invitation.

Bardiani CSF 7 Saber and Polti VisitMalta already appeared close to certain of getting a place on the start line, but there was still one slot left. On paper, the maths looked simple — though the Rockets have learned not to take anything for granted after the Tour decision. Now the confirmation is in, and it will come as a huge relief inside the Rockets camp: the team will travel to Bulgaria for the start of the Giro d’Italia 2026.

Alongside the Rockets, Pinarello–Q36.5 Pro Cycling and Tudor — the ProTeams with automatic start rights — will also line up. The remaining wildcards go, as expected, to Polti VisitMalta and Bardiani CSF 7 Saber. Cofidis, who would normally have started the Giro, declined, and the Rockets are the main beneficiaries of that decision.