From YouTube to the Tour: the story of Tietema, the director of the team everyone is talking about

In recent weeks, the Unibet Rose Rockets team has been the talk of the town. A modest Pro Tour category team, the second tier of cycling, is incorporating signings of the caliber of Dylan Groenewegen, Wout Poels, and especially Victor Lafay, clearly signaling their aspirations to secure one of the invitations for the upcoming Tour de France.

With just three years of existence, Unibet Rose Rockets aims to compete in the Tour de France 2026

Behind the meteoric rise of Unibet Rose Rockets is Bas Tietema, a former Dutch cyclist who had to end his career prematurely due to skin allergies. However, Tietema's passion for cycling remained alive.

The Dutchman then chose the path of communication, becoming a well-known YouTuber. Additionally, he was able to resume his cycling career after finding a remedy for his allergies, managing to find a place in the Bingoal team, which allowed him to fulfill one of his dreams: finishing the Paris-Roubaix, even if he did so in last place, with the velodrome already closed. By the way, this race was his greatest success as an amateur, finishing on the podium in the under-23 event in 2015.

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In 2023, he decided to take a further step into cycling by founding the Continental category team TDT-Unibet, which in 2024 would register with a Pro Tour license and, that same year, secured their first wildcard for a World Tour race that would allow them to participate in the Amstel Gold Race.

An unstoppable rise that they want to take a step further in 2026, first with the incorporation of the German bicycle brand Rose as a sponsor and second, by strengthening the squad with signings like those already made of Dylan Groenewegen, Wout Poels, or Victor Lafay. The ambitious goal is clear: to be protagonists in all the early-season races in 2026 so that the Tour de France considers them as an invited team in the next edition.

An invitation that seems attainable after the disappearance of Arkéa-B&B Hotels and the merger of Intermarché and Lotto. Cofidis has a fixed spot as the third best-ranked among Pro Tour teams, as does Q36.5. With Uno-X Mobility moving up to the World Tour, it really doesn't seem like there is any team that could, at first glance, contest the invitation.

Tietema is optimistic about the team's evolution: “Our story continues to trend upward every year. It is essential that your budget grows in line with the races you compete in and the value you represent.” A concern about the financial aspect that the invitation to the Tour de France could change: “Those conversations have not yet reached their final phase. But we could suddenly find ourselves in a different position if the Tour de France wildcard turns out to be a possibility, or if we start racing other important events,” Bas Tietema explained regarding his negotiations with other potential sponsors.