Amstel Gold Race

Sunday 19th April 2026 was a wonderful day. Our packed Spring schedule found us at Amstel Gold Race - unquestionably one of the greatest races on Earth. While the Dutch Classic might not get the armchair fan’s pulses racing in the same way as Strade Bianche, its size and history firmly place it above the relative new kid on the block in the now annual calls for a new Monument. [Not that there should be a new Monument, but that’s a subject for another day - Ed]

Once a race starts a certain level of chaos ensues both within the peloton and for those of us that follow it. Plans are superseded by backup plans. It’s just the way of things. So it was with the 60th Amstel Gold Race. After a few closed roads and quick decisions we found ourselves in Berg en Terblijt at the bottom of Geulhemmerberg. Part of the finish loop around the beautiful town of Valkenburg.

Two Very Different Forces

As we waited for the racing we positioned ourselves between two very different forces in world cycling. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike ‘VIP Experience’ and the Unibet Rose Rockets ‘Fan Zone’. Bookended by two of the Netherlands’ finest, whatever the UCI registration documents say.

If we were to compare the two teams to social media networks (stick with us here!!) The Rockets are TikTok with an attention span of 30 seconds and a joy that is difficult to comprehend. That is until you’ve spent an hour with their fans. It resembles a football crowd without the menace. Identity. Passion. Belief. An underdog spirit that everyone around the team thrives on.

Visma, on the other hand are LinkedIn. They represent success. Connections. A firm belief in their own ability with the track record to back up that confidence. To put it simply, they mean business.

The Rockets

On inspection, one of the main things that stands out about Unibet Rose Rockets is the last word in their name. Not taken from a sponsor, it is an identity of their own. A team brand that can follow them through the years. It is a simple yet relatively unique development in modern cycling.

The move may have been driven, at least in part, by necessity in the same way as the change in national registration. Specifically that gambling advertising in sport is no longer allowed in the Netherlands. How it has been achieved however is a branding exercise that could fundamentally change the image of the sport. It was also completely deliberate. That’s no mean feat for a team founded in a most unconventional manner. As a spinoff from a YouTube channel - Tour de Tietema.

Fans First

“Since the start of our team we believe in the ‘fans first’ approach. At Tour de Tietema we strongly believe that we do sports for the fans. We’re always exploring new things to reach that goal. In cycling it’s quite common for a team to suddenly change their team colours, or even their entire team name. In our view this makes it really difficult to build a lasting identity that people can truly support. In our philosophy it’s all about that. Creating a fan base around our team that follows our journey and our goals.”

Bas Tietema - Founder - January 2025

And he is absolutely right. Teams change names on an almost yearly basis. Sponsors swap teams and teams swap colours with dizzying regularity. And every change of sponsor and kit colour erodes what little brand recognition there is, beyond for a few dyed in the wool supporters.

To look at their neighbours for the day, Team Visma | Lease a Bike have had 15 names since their foundation in 1987. While some of those are relatively fresh in the memory and some changes were slight, younger fans will probably struggle to recognise Superconfex - Kwantum - Yoko, Wordperfect - Colnago - Decca or even the relatively recent Belkin-Pro Cycling Team as being one and the same.

By adding one word to their name, adopting a more bold colour scheme and harnessing their considerable knowledge of social media, Bas Tietema has effectively insulated his team from this thorny issue. Whether these uniquenesses can be maintained in the face of greater expectations or a change in sponsorship remains to be seen. Though that is clearly the intention of the management.

(Not that) One Pro Cycling

As the saying goes ‘there’s nothing new under the sun’ so it is with cycling. While the Rockets branding exercise has no current parallels, especially at their level, it has been tried before. Though with the rather more prosaically named One Pro Cycling.

An early home for Kamil Gradek and Emīls Liepiņš as well as 2016 Tro Bro Leon winner and runner up Martin Mortensen and Peter Williams, the team never really matched the concept with the branding, sponsorship and kit in a compelling way. Certainly, their muted colour scheme can’t really be compared to the pink and blue stripes of the Rockets. Let alone with the name - known for speed, power and sudden, catastrophic explosion.

'Crazy Gang' Mentality

And while it’s commonplace to see fans with flags and signs by the roadside they are almost always national or regional emblems such as the yellow and black of Vlaamse Leeuw - The Flemish Lion. There are sometimes small pockets of fan clubs for teams or particular riders but nothing on the scale of the Rockets. The nearest we have seen is Quick-Step’s Wolfpack though that has always felt more like an internal galvanisation of their team ethic and camaraderie than any genuine fan movement.

In terms of attitude the thing that sets The Rockets apart is that they know they’re going to struggle at times and they’re the first to draw attention to it. Indeed, some of their own social media content revels in it! To say this is not the norm would be a massive understatement. The ‘Crazy Gang’ mentality is both a refreshing change and a huge tactical advantage. It removes pressure while allowing their fans to dream.

Upwards Trajectory

It is safe to say that Unibet Rose Rockets are a phenomenon quite unlike anything we’ve seen in cycling before. The level of support they receive is significantly greater than their results to date have justified though that is changing.

For instance, their UCI ranking for 2025 saw them in 26th place on 3225 points. Only 35 points ahead of Burgos Burpellet BH (3190) and 137 ahead of Team Polti VisitMalta (3088). Yet the buzz around the Rockets is on a totally different level.

One difference is their trajectory. In 2024 they sat in 33rd place on 1414 points and the year before they were 51st on 820 points. Significantly, at the time of writing at the end of May 2026, Unibet Rose Rockets currently have 4110 points and sit in 19th place above EF Education - EasyPost.

A Targeted Approach to Winning

This rise has been due to their focus. In many ways a similar plan of attack that saw Astana spectacularly avoid relegation from the World Tour last year. A targeted approach to races that are winnable and a recruitment policy that adds experience to raw potential.

The addition of Dylan Groenewegen to their 2026 roster was as inspired as it was audacious. Convincing Marcel Kittel to become their sprint coach was nothing short of a masterstroke. A partnership made in heaven that has already delivered results. It seems clear that if this dream team can be kept together and improved upon for the full 3 year promotion cycle then a place in the World Tour is more than achievable. With other wise heads such as Wout Poels picking up UCI points in perhaps his swansong season there are reasons for optimism outside of the sprint train.

So, should every team copy the Rockets’ winning formula? Definitely not, but they should clearly find and embrace an identity of their own. Give their fans something to be part of. Something to buy into, both figuratively and literally.

To quote Oscar Wilde:

Be yourself - everyone else is already taken.