Tour de Tietema-Unibet have made an enormous step of their pursuit of at some point using the Tour de France, with Unibet set to step as much as first title sponsor in 2025 after signing a brand new multi-year settlement.
The Dutch group will race below a French license in 2025 and develop into Unibet Tietema Rockets, the primary group in skilled biking with a ‘franchise’ title, and hope to kick on from using their first WorldTour occasions at Amstel Gold Race and the Renewi Tour in 2024.
The challenge is run by former professional rider turned profitable YouTuber Bas Tietema, alongside enterprise companions Josse Wester and Devin van der Wiel, with vibrant kits and aggressive racing making up a part of the group’s identification. Tietema’s channel has amassed nearly 40 million views and greater than 180,000 subscribers in a matter of years.
“It seems like yesterday that Devin, Josse and I began this challenge of making our personal biking group. We had nothing, simply our goals and imaginative and prescient and gathered companions and folks round who additionally believed in these goals,” learn an announcement from Tietema on X.
“Two years later, the group will get its personal title and worldwide identification.”
Alongside their profitable social media protection and continued YouTube perception into skilled racing, it is nonetheless with an all-out deal with the racing. They’ve managed two skilled wins of their first two seasons finally 12 months’s ZLM Tour and the Tour of Antalya in February, and confirmed what they might deliver to Amstel with Brit Zeb Kyffin being a part of the day’s primary breakaway.
Tietema, who completed third at Paris-Roubaix U23 in his racing days, by no means made it to the Tour de France as a rider, nonetheless, he is decided to take action together with his group, the place he’s now a sports activities director.
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“Every biking group begins out with that one dream, the Tour de France. We have been working in the direction of that dream for a very long time and possibly exceeded the expectations of many already,” stated group proprietor Tietema on the team’s website.
“To accomplish that, we have to develop our riders’ degree, entice extra world companions and inform our story in the easiest way attainable.
“We are very pleased with the event to date and now we’re taking an enormous step in the direction of realizing these goals.”
While the Tour stays the principle aim, the subsequent 12 months of racing sees Monument participation as the large goal for Tietema and his group, alongside successful out within the Spring Classics.
“That was actually the aim for this 12 months – to get into our first WorldTour races after which subsequent 12 months, first Monument,” stated Tietema to Cyclingnews talking in April, with a attainable eye on the Tour of Flanders.
“Then, in fact including extra WorldTour races like Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in that Flemish part, after which additionally bettering within the climbers group due to our final aim of constructing it to the Tour de France.”
With a partnership alongside Unibet secured, the instant way forward for the squad is assured, with 24 riders already confirmed for 2025, together with their winner from Antalya Hartthijs de Vries.
“We’re extremely pleased with the group’s improvement and the way they’ve labored in the direction of our joint aim, the Tour de France. The group has an enormous potential and has already confirmed they’re able to creating in a short time,”, stated Neil Banbury, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at Kindred Group.
“From the start, their ambition, entrepreneurial spirit and the best way they current themselves has been one thing that has impressed us and has been refreshing to the game. We cannot wait to see the Rockets in motion and develop to the subsequent degree.”