Groenewegen targets pink and Rockets history ten years after Kittel’s own maglia rosa

Only this time, Kittel will not be the man finishing the job. As sprint coach at Unibet Rose Rockets, he is now part of the group trying to guide Dylan Groenewegen through the opening stage in Bulgaria, where the team of Bas Tietema begins its first ever Grand Tour with a genuine shot at the maglia rosa.

For the Rockets, Friday’s start in Nessebar is more than another step in a rapid rise. Four years after beginning life at Continental level, the team has reached one of cycling’s biggest stages. A sprint finish in Burgas would give them an immediate chance to turn that debut into history.

Kittel knows exactly what that can mean. On 8 May 2016, he won at the Giro and moved into pink. On 8 May 2026, exactly ten years later, Groenewegen has the opportunity to do the same for a team still writing the most unlikely chapter of its young existence.

“No pressure,” Kittel said to In de Leiderstrui with a smile when the parallel was put to him in Bulgaria.

The former German sprinter now leads the team’s sprint preparation and has studied the finale in detail.

“I think I could ride the stage from memory without navigation,” Kittel said.

The early part of the route is exposed, as is part of the local circuit along the coast. But the entry into Burgas is what could be a decisive moment in his eyes.

“That corner at 3.6 kilometres is important,” he explained. “You come in from what is basically a highway into the urban area of Burgas, where the road narrows from three lanes to two. After that there are some smaller bends towards the final kilometre. With a peloton of 180 riders, that will be a challenge.”

If the wind does not split the race, Kittel expects a large group to fight for position on the run in. The final kilometre rises slightly in two sections and bends to the left, but the battle to be in place before then may shape the sprint more than the finishing straight itself.

“The last kilometre also rises slightly in two parts and bends a little to the left, but the point at 3.6 kilometres is probably even more important,” he said.

Groenewegen arrives in Bulgaria as the Rockets’ most obvious card. The Dutch sprinter has already won four times this season, including a WorldTour victory at the Ronde van Brugge that helped confirm the team’s sprint project as more than just an ambitious idea.

His build up to the Giro, however, has not been without disruption. A crash at Scheldeprijs left him with back problems and forced him to skip the Ronde van Limburg before joining the team for a three week training camp in Spain.

“I had some trouble with my back, so we had to take it a bit easier in training,” Groenewegen tol In de Leiderstrui. “Skipping Limburg was the right decision, because the back improved quite quickly. After that we spent three weeks in Spain with the team and that went well. We are ready.”

The sprint train has also had to absorb setbacks. Rory Townsend, originally earmarked for a key lead out role, suffered a tibial plateau fracture in March. Karsten Feldmann then stepped in, but illness ruled him out of the Giro. Matyas Kopecky now takes his place.

“It is very unfortunate for Karsten,” Kittel said. “He filled that role really well. But with Matyas Kopecky we have someone who can take over, and he can also support Lukas in the stages that suit him.”

The ideal sequence is clear. The Rockets want to bring Groenewegen into the finale through their own train, with Lukáš Kubiš, Kopecky and Elmar Reinders expected to play important roles in the final kilometres.

For a team riding its first Grand Tour, the chance is there straight away. A stage win would already make the Rockets’ Giro debut a great success. Pink on the opening day would make it part of the race’s history. 

Ten years after Kittel had his own turn in the maglia rosa, Groenewegen now has the sprint, the team and the opportunity to give the Rockets theirs.