Cyclingflash
"The Tour remains our dream race": Bas Tietema keeps hope alive after missed wildcard

"The Tour remains our dream race": Bas Tietema keeps hope alive after missed wildcard

The Unibet Rose Rockets will not be going to the Tour de France this year. Organizer ASO has given the two wildcards to TotalEnergies and Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, but that doesn't mean the Rockets are sitting still.

"The question we've been asked most often in recent months is: will you ride the Tour in 2026? Today we received the news that we did not get a wildcard," founder and team manager Bas Tietema said in a video statement.

"2026 still promises to be an incredible year for our team. We will do everything to keep improving ourselves. The Tour de France is and will always be our dream race. Keep dreaming with us. Because there is still so much to dream of, this year and in the years to come," Tietema concluded.

The Dutch team boss signed Dylan Groenewegen, Victor Lafay, and Wout Poels—three former Tour stage winners—during the winter to have a shot at a wildcard.