Bruyneel praises Unibet Rose Rockets after major setback and sees opportunities: ‘They have more riders who can win there’

No Rockets in the Tour, but Spanish outfit Caja Rural–Seguros RGA does get the wildcard. On THEMOVE, Bruyneel explained how he believes that decision came about. In doing so, he looked at which teams did — and did not — get invitations to the Vuelta, because the Tour and the Vuelta fall under the same organisation: Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO).

“There is that rotation in Spain, where Burgos and Kern Pharma were not invited to the Vuelta last year, because Caja Rural went together with Euskaltel-Euskadi,” Bruyneel explained. Euskaltel-Euskadi miss out this year regardless, as they finished 34th in the team rankings at the end of the season. A place in the top 30 is required to receive an invitation to a Grand Tour.

In that top 30, Spanish-wise, you do have Burgos, Kern Pharma and Caja Rural. The first two were left out of the Vuelta last year, but that now appears set to change. The third team, Caja Rural, can therefore line up at the Tour — meaning everyone can count on a Grand Tour appearance.

So, in Bruyneel’s eyes, it all adds up. “The big reason is very simple: they’re 25th in the team ranking. Arkéa and Intermarché are out, so they’re 23rd. Then they are the first team after the automatic wildcards,” said Bruyneel. The Belgian also listed more reasons. “The Tour also starts in Barcelona, Caja Rural is a team with a lot of history, and the company is a powerful bank in Spain.”

“So I’m not surprised, and I think it’s a logical decision,” Bruyneel added, while understanding the disappointment. “I think everyone got swept up a bit in the hype around the Rose Rockets. That’s also partly why fans on social media are so unhappy: it’s a very popular team.”

Despite the setback, Bruyneel had praise for the Rockets. “Chapeau for what those guys are doing. At first everyone said: are these people really going to start a team? Three years later they’re in the running for a Tour de France appearance. That’s already great in itself. They’ve also made some really nice signings.”

For the team’s development, Bruyneel doesn’t see missing the Tour as a disaster. “I think they’ll have to wait another year, or two years. I think they’ve handled it very professionally. Everyone wants to go to the Tour, of course. Another year or two could actually be good for them, because then they can broaden the squad.”

So what should the Rockets do this year? The Giro d'Italia feels like the obvious option. “With Lafay and Poels… they can win a stage in the Giro. Kubis is also very good. I think they have more riders who can win there. I even think the Giro is the logical next step. Going straight to the Tour is a bit too much wishful thinking, if we’re being honest,” Bruyneel concluded.