Unibet Rose Rockets bolster performance staff after Kittel appointment with Roubaix podium finisher

Hammond was a proven classics specialist during his racing career. He finished third at Paris-Roubaix in 2004, placed second at Gent-Wevelgem in 2007, and made the podium at Dwars door Vlaanderen in back-to-back years, taking third in 2004 and improving to second in 2005. He also won Stage 2 of the Tour of Britain twice, in 2005 and again in 2006.

Across a sixteen-year professional career, he was twice crowned British road race champion before retiring in 2011. During his career, he rode for Discovery Channel, where he was a teammate of Lance Armstrong.

Since stepping away from competition, Hammond has built a reputation as an experienced sports director, working across multiple WorldTour teams including Dimension Data, Bahrain Victorious and INEOS Grenadiers, and most recently serving as a sports director at Red Bull BORA hansgrohe.

His stint there came to an end following a restructuring of the performance staff, with Zak Dempster stepping in to lead the sporting department, Oliver Cookson appointed Head of Racing, and new directors, including Sven Vanthourenhout, Klaas Lodewyck and Tony Gallopin, joining the setup.

Julia Soek, the Rockets’ team manager, described Hammond as an experienced sports director across all disciplines, with particular strength in grand tours. It is a skill set that could prove valuable if the team secures the coveted wildcard for the 2026 Tour de France.

Alongside Hammond’s arrival, the team also confirmed that 30-year-old Martijn Budding will remain with the Rockets as a sports director. The Dutchman has been a key part of the project in recent seasons, but was forced to retire with immediate effect earlier this summer due to health issues. In his new role, Budding will assist Marcel Kittel with the sprinters’ group, a logical next step given his own background as a sprinter.