'I have tears in my eyes' – Marcel Kittel ecstatic as Dylan Groenewegen collaboration bears fruit with Rockets' first WorldTour win

Unibet Rose Rockets are a team fast rising up cycling's ranks, on Wednesday scoring their first-ever WorldTour race victory just over three years after their founding.

Sprinter Dylan Groenewegen delivered the landmark victory, speeding to his – and his team's – fourth win of the year at the Ronde Van Brugge.

The victory was his third in a row this Classics season, following triumphs at the Bredene Koksijde Classic and the GP Jean-Pierre Monseré. Groenewegen's 16th career WorldTour-level win came at the expense of Jasper Philipsen and Max Kanter, and he was guided along the way by former star sprinter Marcel Kittel.

"He just wins!" the German exclaimed excitedly in an in-car video released by the team following the win.

"We just won! I have tears in my eyes. They fucking rode like they do that already since 20 years together."

The German, a 14-time Tour de France stage winner, has taken up a role as sprint coach for the French-registered ProTeam as they look to establish themselves among cycling's elite following the signings of Groenewegen, Wout Poels, and Victor Lafay over the winter.

'That is what was still missing for me'

In an interview with WielerFlits following the Ronde Van Brugge, Kittel spoke about the team's rise – they'll compete in their first Grand Tour at May's Giro d'Italia – off the back of a different approach than other, more traditionally-run squads.

"They started out as a YouTube team. But you can still feel that they have a very different atmosphere and vibe than an average pro team," Kittel explained. "They approach things differently than their competitors, and apparently that works. We are doing very well."

On a personal level, Kittel is enjoying his time with the team, a new role for the German after several years out of the spotlight following his 2019 retirement from racing.

"What I really enjoy is being able to handle the preparation for every sprint race, lead the meetings, stay in contact with the riders, and hear what problems they are having and what I can do for them," he said.

"That is what was still missing for me as an ex-racer who has already seen a lot in the cycling world."

Kittel has worked alongside Groenewegen this season, with the Dutchman so far taking the team just one shy of their entire win total for 2025.

"Dylan's motivation is very high. He is still an absolute winner, and he wants it so badly. His ambition gives me ambition and energy too," Kittel said.

"You have to be open to it. It has to come from within yourself, and that is certainly the case with Dylan. He wants it so badly. He dedicates time and energy to the team every day and prepares well. Then, the results will come naturally."

A team going places

Following a successful start to the season, which has also seen Lukáš Kubiš score a podium at the GP Castellón and a fourth overall at the Etoile de Bessèges, Unibet Rose Rockets currently lie 18th in the UCI world rankings, fourth best among ProTeams.

In their seasons to date, they've only ascended the rankings, from 51st to 33rd and then 26th last year.

A Giro d'Italia debut is the next step in the team's progress, with a Tour de France invite an aim for 2027 after they missed out this season.

Next up for Groenwegen is La Roue Tourangelle on Sunday before heading to a race often called the unofficial sprinter's World Championships – Scheldeprijs – in early April. Later on this spring, the Giro awaits.