Marcel Kittel, a former Tour de France stage winner, is making a comeback in professional cycling, but this time as a sprint coach for the Unibet Rose Rockets. With 19 Grand Tour stage victories, including 14 at the Tour de France, Kittel brings a wealth of experience to the team. His role extends beyond sprinting, as he will also coach the entire team and contribute to building a more professional structure.
In an interview with NOS, Kittel expressed his enthusiasm for the new challenge, stating, ‘I’m going to make a sort of comeback next year with Unibet Rose Rockets. I’ll be working there as a sprint expert and will be part of the team.’
The team’s focus is on improving their sprinting abilities and overall performance, aiming to reach the WorldTour level. Kittel believes that this is a crucial step towards their Grand Tour ambitions. He explained, ‘The focus is on the sprints, of course. But also on coaching the entire team and building a top-level sports structure. We definitely need to raise it two more levels, towards the WorldTour. That’s very clearly the ambition.’
The Unibet Rose Rockets have already made significant moves to strengthen their lineup. They have signed climbers Wout Poels and Victor Lafay, both with Tour de France stage wins under their belts. These additions further emphasize the team’s commitment to enhancing their Grand Tour capabilities.
Kittel’s expertise will be instrumental in guiding the team’s development. He plans to work closely with Dylan, identifying areas for improvement and fostering a cohesive unit that can compete at the highest level. Despite the challenges, Kittel remains optimistic, stating, ‘Certainly not everything will work right away next year. We’re going to try a lot of things, but that’s also top-level sport: many things go wrong, and you lose very often. But the moments when you win are particularly valuable and important.’