Tour boss Prudhomme explains wildcard choice: “The Rockets claim they’re not French at all”

Everything appeared to fall into place for the Rockets. After an excellent 2025, the Franco-Dutch squad added proven names to strengthen its case. With a French licence, the disappearance and merger of WorldTour teams, and an additional wildcard slot to be allocated, Tietema’s side looked ready to plan for a Tour de France debut. Instead, it will be Caja Rural who make their first appearance in July.

Many have called it a strange call, but Prudhomme pointed to the same method used in recent seasons. “We applied the same principle as in previous years, which means we used the second division ranking at the end of the 2025 season,” he told AFP. 'Caja Rural is 25th, but due to the disappearance of Arkéa-B&B Hotels and the merger between Lotto and Intermarché, they are now 23rd.'

Another factor, Prudhomme said, was the Spanish angle. The 2026 Tour de France begins in Spain — in Barcelona, Catalonia — and Caja Rural also delivered a strong team performance in the most recent Vuelta a España. “Caja Rural also finished fourth in the team classification of the last Vuelta, where their leader Abel Balderstone finished 13th overall. He is of course Spanish, but also Catalan,” Prudhomme explained.

And what about Unibet Rose Rockets? “They claim they’re not French at all,” Prudhomme said. “They have more Dutch riders. It’s true they’ve made some very good signings — Wout Poels, Dylan Groenewegen and Victor Lafay, three former stage winners in the Tour de France. It’s a team that dreams of the Tour de France in the long term. We will follow this closely in the coming years.”

The Rockets’ French licence was a strategic choice, designed in part to keep sponsor Unibet on board. Under Dutch regulations, the betting brand would not be permitted on the team jersey — so the project opted for a French workaround. That move also looked like a potential advantage for a Tour wildcard, given French-licensed teams often sit prominently in the conversation. For now, though, it appears to have worked against them.