'Focus on what we can do' - Unibet Rose Rockets DS reacts to missing out on Tour wildcard

Unibet Rose Rockets Sports Director Sverre Dyngeland Vik gave his initial reaction to Daniel Benson in Mallorca ahead of the Trofeo Serra Tramuntana, insisting that the team have to look forward and make the best out of the wildcards they have received so far and perform well enough to ensure that they won’t be left out of the selection by ASO in future seasons.

“We’re a little bit surprised, but we cannot do anything about it. 
We have to really focus on what we can focus on, and that's the sporting side of cycling,” Dyngeland told Benson.

“We have a really good race programme, after all, with all the classics, also some one-day races from ASO. We have to focus on that part of it, and then when it's time to go to the Tour, when we can show the sporting level is there, I think we will get the invite in the future.”

The Rockets have been invited to races including Omloop Nieuwsblad, E3 Saxo Classic, the Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold Race, and La Flèche Wallonne so far in 2026, and still remain in contention for a wildcard at the Giro d’Italia.

Dyngeland was asked if he was surprised by the decision, but the Sports Director admitted that it would have equally been a surprise in terms of the magnitude of the achievement if the team had been invited to the debut Tour this Summer having been formed in 2023.

“To be honest, I think we would also be surprised if we were invited to the tour. So, yeah, it's a little bit both ways,” said Dyngeland.

The Rockets ended 2025 sitting 26th in the UCI team rankings on 3,225 points, one position behind the Spanish team Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, who picked up 3,924 points, who made the selection.

On whether he believed that the team had done enough to secure an invitation, Dyngeland stated, “We are, of course, doing everything we can, but there are also other teams doing everything they can.” 

“It's up to the organisers to decide who's going to the Tour. It's not up to us to decide, and, yeah, we are focusing on what we can do and nothing more. 
That's being as good as we can from the sporting side.”

The Rockets had signalled their ambition with a busy transfer window, signing fifteen riders, including three former Tour stage winners, Dylan Groenewegen, Victor Lafay, and Wout Poels. 

“And of course, signing riders, maybe not hoping that this was going to bring us to the next level [immediately], but at least, yeah, bring us to the next level for the coming years. That's why we signed the riders we have.”

Marquee signing Dylan Groenewegen has already gotten the team off to a winning start in 2026, sprinting to victory at the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana - Gran Premi València.