Unibet Tietema Rockets' rising star keeps going: "I was even a bit disappointed after Omloop"

The arrival of Kubis can be described as some clever scouting work by Bas and his men, even though he had already attracted the attention of the ProCyclingStats enthusiasts with his many top ten placings and results at the European Championships in Hasselt and the Olympic Games in Paris. "It was the first professional team that contacted me. That must have been in April or May. Bas contacted me, and from that moment on, you automatically start having contract discussions and things like that," he said in January.

Kubis - a very friendly person - has immediately translated those good results at the continental level into team results. The Slovakian already impressed in the Tour de la Provence with a fifth place but then went even further in Belgium with top ten places in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, and Le Samyn. "I'm certainly happy with that and how we race. We are super active throughout the entire race," giving his teammates a pat on the back."

"Did I surprise myself? It worked out perfectly. My form is perfect, and I must say that the performance department of the team did an outstanding job this winter," Kubis explains. "All the guys are ready; we have seen that now. I am very proud. After my sixth place in the Omloop, I was even slightly disappointed because I missed the podium. But about an hour after the race, everything calmed down, and I was quite happy."

"It was my first WorldTour race and I immediately finished in the top ten," the 25-year-old rider continued. "Peter (Sagan, ed.) finished second twice and won Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. So, I still have a long way to go. We finished sixth, but I want to do better. Sixth place is good, but I want more: the podium or a win. In time, of course."

Kubis's racing style was impressive during the Opening Weekend. Among many big names, he was in the group that survived the Muur van Geraardsbergen. 'We were fighting for our place. Mathias Vacek was the strongest uphill, and he set a fast pace. "It wasn't easy, but I was well-positioned. That was the key to my success because it helped me survive. After the Bosberg, we were down to fifteen riders, which was very cool for me."

Kubis' positioning drew attention in a positive sense, also for Tietema. As a rider of a 'smaller' team, he does this well in a Flemish race, both for the climbs and the final sprint. "Sometimes it is difficult because the WorldTour teams set up their trains. However, I have no problem doing it myself: I think I'm pretty good at it, although I must say that my teammates have also helped me a lot."

Kubis is pleased with the team, as he shows in everything he does. "I am overjoyed to be here and extremely proud of the team. The mood is so nice; everyone is so friendly. And I am also grateful for the opportunities I have been given," said the Slovakian cyclist. "When we discussed, they said they wanted to go to the Tour de France. I said: okay, I want that too. Let's do it together."