Marcel Kittel will become part of the staff of Unibet Rose Rockets starting next year. The former top sprinter will take on the role of sprint coach for Bas Tietema’s team, the squad announced.
"The fourteen-time Tour de France stage winner will work closely with riders and staff to build a successful sprint train and strengthen the performance culture within the team," the press release states. Kittel will collaborate with, among others, Dylan Groenewegen at the French-licensed team.
Founder Bas Tietema expresses his excitement about the arrival of the German. "We are incredibly proud that someone of his caliber believes in what we are trying to build and wants to help us achieve our sprint ambitions. As a team, we always want to race aggressively, and in the sprints, we aim to compete for the top spots – not only with riders like Dylan (Groenewegen, ed.), but also with many young riders we have signed. Marcel’s expertise will help us take those ambitions to the next level."
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Kittel won fourteen Tour de France stages - photo: Cor Vos
From pizzas in Paris to professional team
Kittel sees a lot of potential in the riders of Unibet Rose Rockets. “When I look at this team, I recognize much from my own days as a rider. I see a group that wants to leave its mark on the peloton by making the sprint one of their main weapons within an aggressive racing style,” says the 37-year-old former rider. “I first met Bas a few years ago after seeing him hand out pizzas in Paris. I never expected he would start his own pro team, but after a few conversations, it became immediately clear to me how serious the team’s ambitions are.”
Kittel retired in 2019 at just 30 years old after a successful career in which he won fourteen Tour de France stages, four Giro d’Italia stages, and one Vuelta a España stage. In total, he claimed 89 professional victories. Incidentally, after his career he became an ambassador for Rose, the bike and name sponsor of the team he now works for. In recent years, he has mainly been active as an analyst for NOS during the Tour de France.
Confidence in Groenewegen
In an interview with NOS, Kittel explains his choice. “You can feel the ambition in everything they have done in preparation for next year. They have brought in new people and new riders. They have a solid media plan for how they want to present the team to the outside world and how they want to involve partners and fans in that. That really appeals to me. That is how a modern sports team should be,” says Kittel.
One of the focal points for next year is Groenewegen. Despite this year’s less successful results, Kittel says he still has confidence in the Amsterdam sprinter. “Dylan is a sprinter who has been successful for many years. He knows what to do, but we are also looking at where there is room for improvement in consultation with him. For next year, that is a nice process, and we already see areas to improve,” said the former top sprinter, who still believes in Tour success for Groenewegen. “I am convinced of that, and he has that ambition himself.”
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