Unibet Rose Rockets face yet another rival for a spot in the 2027 Tour de France

By expanding the team and signing stage winners such as Dylan Groenewegen, Victor Lafay, and Wout Poels, Bas Tietema’s Unibet Rose Rockets hoped to have a chance at qualifying for the 2026 race last season.

In the end, the team was passed over by ASO in favour of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, which, as a Spanish team starting in Barcelona, had an advantage. Race director Christian Prudhomme defended the decision by stating that the team had more points than the Rockets on the 2024 UCI Ranking.

Last week, Tietema was in Paris again with a delegation for the presentation of the route, hoping to secure a spot for 2027. By finishing 21st in the UCI rankings in 2025, it had already met the requirement set by Prudhomme last year.

Until things are settled, the suspense will continue. For example, there is still no clarity regarding the future of TotalEnergies, which, as a French team, is practically guaranteed a starting spot. The team has lost nearly all of its top riders to other teams and has yet to officially announce a plan (and roster) for next year.

Burgos-BH has signed Mathieu Burgaudeau, Matteo Bonnet, and Mathieu Burgaudeau, among others, thereby establishing itself as a contender for participation in the Tour de France. Marca has already reported that the Spanish team sees itself as a realistic contender.

Another Spanish-registered contender has now joined the fray, as the Basque team Euskaltel-Euskadi, in a Houdini-like feat, has cycled its way through races in Hong Kong, Panama, and Algeria.

With the signing of Mikel Landa, that team is also hoping to compete in the Tour de France, where Euskaltel-Euskadi last participated in 2013. “Why not?” Landa—who was in Paris last week— already hinted. The climber has already put himself in the spotlight in several ways, with a stage victory in the queen stage of the Vuelta a España and by traveling to Panama as a supporter.