“To be honest, I think we would also be surprised if we were invited to the Tour. So, yeah, it’s a little bit both ways,” he adds.
Year to prove their worthHowever project doesn’t stop now. The dream does not fulfill in 2026, but that gives all the more motivation to everyone behind the project to ensure that in 2027, ASO can no longer look past the bid of Rockets. Ranking among the three best ProTeams might be a tad bit too ambitious goal, but even a top-5 should provide them with enough leverage to meet the sporting criteria which seemed to have been ASO’s main arguement against invitation.
“We have a really good race programme, after all, with all the classics, also some one-day races from ASO. We have to focus on that part of it, and then when it’s time to go to the Tour, when we can show the sporting level is there, I think we will get the invite in the future.”
Dylan Groenewegen takes his first win for Unibet Rose Rockets
On whether he believed that the team had done enough to secure an invitation, Dyngeland stated, “We are, of course, doing everything we can, but there are also other teams doing everything they can. It’s up to the organisers to decide who’s going to the Tour. It’s not up to us to decide, and, yeah, we are focusing on what we can do and nothing more. That’s being as good as we can from the sporting side.”
“And of course, signing riders, maybe not hoping that this was going to bring us to the next level [immediately], but at least, yeah, bring us to the next level for the coming years. That’s why we signed the riders we have.”
Dylan Groenewegen already secured the team’s first victory of the season in Spain, and the season has only begun.