Wout Poels confirms final season as Unibet Rose Rockets bring in experienced WorldTour manager
Unibet Rose Rockets have taken two significant steps towards their 2027 ambitions, with experienced Dutch manager Aike Visbeek set to join the team and veteran climber Wout Poels confirming he will continue racing for one final season.
Favourite us on Google
According to WielerFlits, Visbeek will become Head of Racing on January 1, taking responsibility for sporting strategy, race programmes and team selections. The 50-year-old arrives with extensive WorldTour experience, having played important roles at Team Sunweb and Intermarché-Wanty.
During his time at Sunweb, Visbeek was closely involved in the team's rise, including Tom Dumoulin's historic Giro d'Italia victory in 2017. He later helped transform Intermarché-Wanty into a competitive WorldTour outfit, overseeing sporting development during a period that included Biniam Girmay's breakthrough victories.
At Unibet Rose Rockets, Visbeek will work alongside Chief Sports Officer Eelco Meenhorst and sporting manager Julie Soek as the team continues to strengthen its sporting structure ahead of the 2027 season.
Wout Poels confirms one final season
Unibet Rose Rockets have also received a welcome boost from Wout Poels, who confirmed at Monday's Dutch cycling gala that he will race for another year before retiring at the end of 2027.
The 39-year-old had considered ending his career this season but changed his mind after an encouraging first year with the team. He finished 22nd overall at the Giro d'Italia, recording two top ten stage finishes, including eighth place on stage 14.
"The most important thing is that I still really enjoy it," Poels told NOS. "The Giro went very well, and afterwards I thought that if I can still perform at this level, we might as well continue for another year."
Poels is particularly keen to make one final Grand Tour appearance, potentially at the Tour de France, should the team secure an invitation.
"It would be great if we could ride a Grand Tour with the team, and if we do, I'd love to be there. I often perform at my best in those races," he said.
The Dutchman, who turns 40 next year, insisted that 2027 will definitely mark the end of his professional career after 19 seasons in the peloton.
Tour de France wildcard battle intensifies
A place at the Tour de France, however, is far from guaranteed. Unibet Rose Rockets finished fifth in the 2026 ProTeam rankings but were overlooked for a wildcard, and the competition for an invitation looks set to be just as fierce in 2027.
With the three highest-ranked ProTeams expected to receive automatic invitations, organisers ASO are likely to have just two wildcard spots left to award. French outfit TotalEnergies, whose future now appears increasingly secure after months of financial uncertainty, remains a strong contender. Meanwhile, Spanish team Burgos Burpellet BH has strengthened its bid by signing three French riders, Mathieu Burgaudeau, Mattéo Vercher and Thomas Bonnet, from TotalEnergies ahead of 2027.
Tietema attended the 2027 Tour route presentation in Paris last month, where he reiterated that securing an invitation remains the team's immediate priority before considering what their objectives at the race might be.
"For us, it's all about securing a place in the race before we can even start thinking about individual stages," he told WielerFlits.
