A Bold New Chapter in Professional Cycling

Why the Change?
Since the inception of cycling team TDT-Unibet, we have prioritized a ‘fans first’ philosophy. For us, cycling is about more than just competing; it’s about creating a shared journey that resonates with our supporters. However, in professional cycling, teams often change colors, names, and identities with changing sponsorships, making it difficult to build a lasting connection with fans.

We are proud to be the first team in professional cycling that is able to break that cycle, by adopting our new identity as the Rockets. With Unibet as our title sponsor, we've found a partner that shares our vision and enables us to continue our mission to become the best followable team in the world. 

Why “The Rockets”?
Founder of the team Bas Tietema: “The origin of our new identity is deeply rooted in our history. In our debut season, Sports Director Rob Harmeling, a Tour de France stage winner in 1992, nicknamed our colorful bikes ‘Rockets’ after the iconic ice cream. Over time, the word ‘Rocket’ became part of our team’s language, a verb that represents speed, team spirit, and bold ambition.”

“To Rocket has come to symbolize going all out as a team, a mentality we embrace both on and off the bike. The name also reflects our growth, innovation, and fearless dreams of reaching new heights—much like humanity’s greatest achievements in space exploration. The franchise name The Rockets embodies who we are and where we’re headed.”

The Rebranding Process
Devin van der Wiel, co-founder and Creative Director: ''The journey towards our new identity has been exciting. To make the project more future-proof, we were looking for a way to make the team stand on its own and not rely solely on the identity of Tour de Tietema. That’s why we’ve given the team its own name and logo. I believe that we’ve managed to create something truly unique in the world of cycling.”

It is the result of our ongoing quest to make the team more engaging and better to follow for the audience. Van der Wiel: “The TDT corner at the Amstel Gold Race and the sold-out theater for our documentary premiere give us confidence that our ‘fan first’ approach really makes a difference. Starting February, people can follow our journey in a brand-new series on the Unibet Tietema Rockets YouTube channel.”

Looking Ahead
Bas Tietema: “The audience and commentators will probably need some time to get used to the new name, but we have full confidence in the potential of the Unibet Tietema Rockets. In time, the recognition of the Rockets could surpass that of Tour de Tietema.”

“We've probably come a lot further than most people expected when we launched our Continental team in 2023 as part of our YouTube channel. In the last two years we have experienced some incredible moments, from our first victories to our WorldTour debut at the Amstel Gold Race. We're looking forward to the next milestones as the Unibet Tietema Rockets, for us this was just the beginning.”

We're dreaming big—our ambition has always been and will always be to win in the Tour de France and we will be taking some major steps in 2025 to achieve this. For the coming season, this means racing in more WorldTour races, developing our organisation on and off the road, adapting to our French nationality and strengthening the team towards the future. As always, our fans will be able to be part of every twist and turn on this journey.

Tietema: ‘’Today we are officially launching the Unibet Tietema Rockets, but we already have a lot of exciting things to share for the upcoming months. We can’t wait to launch the Unibet Tietema Rockets and show ourselves in the Coupe de France and some of the biggest spring Classics. 2025 will be a very exciting year!’’