Giro 2026: Unibet Rose Rockets learns key lesson from Dylan Groenewegen sprint

He came so close to his first Giro stage win on Sunday, but Dylan Groenewegen had to settle for third place behind Paul Magnier and Jonathan Milan. The sprinter was disappointed with the result but also hopeful. Just like his sprint coach Marcel Kittel. "This gives a lot of confidence," Het Nieuwsblad reports.

"I had the speed, but I came too late." Those were Groenewegen’s words to Eurosport right after the finish of the third stage. "The team did an amazing job. What didn’t go well during the first sprint opportunity turned out better this time. But I should have gone earlier. I think I launched with about 300 meters to go. I had the speed, so stupid."

"Based on what I’ve seen from our team, we can keep building"
Kittel mainly wants to focus on the positive. "We didn’t win, but the team performed very well. We were positioned well up front on that wide, long road. Yes, I think Dylan started his sprint a bit too late, but you know everything has to align against such fast guys."

His main conclusion? The Unibet Rose Rockets sprint train held its own well in the hectic finale. "Based on what I’ve seen from our team, we can keep building. This third place gives confidence that a win is possible," the German concludes.