Wout Poels will ride for Unibet Rose Rockets in 2026. The Dutchman had already been strongly linked to the French team with Dutch roots, but now the squad, which includes Bas Tietema, has officially confirmed the arrival of the experienced climber. The 38-year-old Poels transfers from XDS Astana.
The newest signing is presented with a playful video on social media – featuring co-founder Tietema and Poels showing off their best acting skills. Poels signs a one-year contract, running through the end of 2026.
Poels made the move last winter from Bahrain Victorious to the XDS Astana Team, where he also signed a one-year deal. The rider from Limburg competed in two Grand Tours for the Kazakh team but did not achieve major successes. However, he did win the Tour of Turkey in early May, which earned him 250 valuable UCI points for his team.
😳 We needed special techniques...
HERE IS WOUT! 🚀
It’s true. @WoutPoels is a Rocketeer. pic.twitter.com/ELO1hgilx5
— Unibet Rose Rockets (@rockets_cycling) October 22, 2025
The climber from Limburg – who has won 26 professional races so far – is leaving the Kazakh team after just one season. At his new team, he will likely have plenty of freedom to pursue his own goals but can also serve as a road captain thanks to his experience. By signing Poels, Unibet Rose Rockets is certainly making a major move, also in the hunt for a wildcard for the upcoming Tour de France.
Wout Poels| Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| 2025 | |
| 2024 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2022 |
New reinforcement
Poels is definitely not the first new signing for Unibet Rose Rockets for the upcoming cycling season. The team has already been active in the transfer market in recent months, resulting in the acquisition of Dylan Groenewegen, Matyáš Kopecký, Niklas Larsen, Elmar Reinders, Jannis Peter, and Karsten Larsen Feldmann. With this injection of quality, the team hopes to take part in a Grand Tour next year.
There are more changes: in 2026, the team will compete under a different name in cycling races. Co-founder Bas Tietema will no longer be the name associated with the ambitious squad, as the team recently announced. Going forward, the team will be known as Unibet Rose Rockets, as the German ROSE Bikes will join as bike and title sponsor.
