Unibet Rose Rockets star Victor Lafay reports best January form ahead of 2026 season while training in China

I once happened to be on a flight from Amsterdam to Shanghai in mid-November — headed for vacation in South Korea — when a familiar face appeared on board. It couldn’t be Victor Lafay, right? At first it didn’t seem possible so late in the year.

But a few days later, Strava activity confirmed that it really was the French recruit for the Rockets on that plane. Opportunity missed.

At the team’s media day in Albir, Lafay joked in an interview that he might be selling croque monsieurs in China — before team manager Bas Tietema laughed it off. “No, no,” Tietema said. “Victor has a girlfriend in China — that’s why he’s there.”

Lafay told DirectVelo that he is heading to Asia again as part of his preparation for the upcoming season, with full support from the Rockets. “I’m going to China in a few days. I’m going to train even harder. Before signing here, I prepared in China too. I made the right choice signing with this team,” he explained.

Before he signed, Lafay admitted he wasn’t sure whether to continue racing. But the chance to have more control over his own training — without someone constantly watching over what he eats or how long he trains — was key to his decision. He said that approach has helped him enjoy training again.

“In some teams you feel like a fifteen-year-old, constantly monitored on what you eat or whether you leave the hotel to go for a walk. I still have the experience to make the right choices.”

Lafay says the freedom to manage his training has paid off already. He feels physically stronger than ever in January — a sign, he believes, that his new way of preparing is working. Tietema personally convinced Lafay to join the Rockets, and the Frenchman thinks his form proves the choice was right.

“Physically, I think I’ve never been in such good shape in January. It clearly shows that training more in my own way works for me. During Christmas, I had all my family dinners. My girlfriend, who had come from China, was there too. I barely rode. I should have done 18 hours of riding, but I did only five,” Lafay laughed.

After Murcia, Lafay is also scheduled to race the Classic Var and the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var as part of building toward his season goals.