Dylan Groenewegen embraces new challenge at Unibet Rose Rockets after 10 years in WorldTour

After ten years in the WorldTour, Groenewegen is now again riding for a team at ProTeam level, albeit with a completely different status. Having left Roompot at the end of 2015 as an up-and-coming sprinter for a contract with LottoNL-Jumbo, he now returns as a six-time Tour de France stage winner to a squad that is still building.

“Good things can come quickly,” says Groenewegen, who himself rose like a rocket in his early pro years. But don’t be mistaken: the fast man from Amsterdam isn’t at Unibet Rose Rockets to wind down — he’s there to build up again.

How happy are you to finally be here?
“Very happy. It’s a new challenge, a new environment, and that brings new triggers. The team is building strongly and that creates ambitions — ambitions that apply to me as well.”

How does that ambition — or motivation, if you prefer — work in a rider’s head?
“Having young guys around you is part of it, but also working with people like Marcel Kittel. You look at how you can get the most out of things: lots of meetings, new training, seeking challenges in training and that sort of stuff. That helps you improve.”

Is it nice to be in a slightly more Dutch-oriented team again, despite the licence being French?
“I don’t really see it like that. It’s an international team and the language is English, so compared to Jayco AlUla not much has changed in that respect.”

In your last year with Jayco AlUla, did you already feel it was winding down, knowing you were leaving?
“I must say it was a great team that felt like family, and I’m very glad I got to ride for them. But after four years it’s also fun to have a new challenge. The Rockets came my way and I’m very happy we found each other.”

You just said that you are improving. It's January, there are still races to come, but do you see that reflected in your abilities, for example??
“Like you said, I’m improving. It’s January and there still need to be races, but I feel good and I’m also glad that the young guys can challenge me.”

Which young guys are you referring to?
“Lukas Kubis always wants to get the most out of himself and that triggers not only me but everyone in the team. Ronan Augé and Tobias Müller are also examples of rising talents.”

Do those guys fire questions at you as a multiple Tour de France stage winner?
(laughs) “Kubis really is a rapid-fire question machine. I even share a room with him, and that’s very fun. He asks all kinds of things: how do you deal with nervousness, what could I do better — questions all day. It makes you look in the mirror yourself and maybe shape your perspective on things.”

Do you recognize yourself in that, for example, from your period at Jumbo-Visma?
“I’m different in character than Lukas and everyone has their own balance in that. I was a bit quieter myself and got my info more from Merijn Zeeman and Robert Wagner. I learned more by watching.”

You learned more with your eyes.
"True, yes."

What will 2026 look like, as far as you can tell — depending on wildcards?
“We start in Valencia — in the race I won two years ago. It’s shaping up to have a flatter finish again. Then we head to Mallorca for the sprint race there. Then Bessèges and Almería, followed by races in Belgium. It’s still a bit of watching exactly how it goes, but I’ll ride many races. After the spring there will be more stage races.”

To name the elephant in the room: Tour de France?
“We just have to make sure we are ready. That’s all we can do. Wait and see.”

Is that frustrating?
“It doesn’t change much about the build-up. We already know my programme through June.”

The past years you often did AlUla and UAE-type races. Now you take on Bessèges — is that also a kind of new stimulus?
“It’s also fun again. I liked AlUla and UAE, but I also like riding Bessèges. I already raced that with Roompot.”

Only slightly worse hotels than in the desert, probably....
“But also fewer travels.”

How would you describe your collaboration with Marcel Kittel?
“I’m very glad he joined the team. He really wants to get the most out of me and knows what it is to be a top sprinter. So he immediately understands better what I’m talking about. Marcel is easy to get along with, clear, and he can also pick things up with other guys. Because he can explain things so well. It’s just nice to be able to spar with someone — a kind of sounding board. The lines are shorter, also regarding gears/aerodynamics and all related matters. And of course the sprint train.”

What does that ideal train look like?
“Elmar Reinders is, of course, an important man there, but also with Rory Townsend we have someone who will be of value with his experience. And there are many young men, where in races we’ll have to look at how it goes and who will be best suited to what. I’m looking forward to it in any case!”