‘I feel like a little boy winning his first race!’ – Marcel Kittel celebrates first victory in new role as Unibet Rose Rockets sprint coach

The Classica Comunitat Valenciana may only have been Unibet Rose Rockets’ third race day of the season, and star signing Dylan Groenewegen‘s first, but they already have their first victory of 2026 in the bag.

The Dutch sprinter, who stepped down from WorldTour team Jayco AlUla to the French ProTeam, beat Paul Magnier and Emilien Jeannière to the line in Valencia. That 78th win of his career was aided by another famous fastman new in the team this year, too.

Marcel Kittel, once the fastest man in the world with 14 Tour de France stage wins and five Scheldeprijs titles, made his return to the professional racing scene when he joined the team as a sprint coach last November.

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His signing has already paid off, with the pink and blue-clad riders working to break the race apart in crosswinds before massing on the front late in the 200km race to lead out Groenewegen successfully. Last man in the train, Elmar Reinders, netted fourth for himself, too.

Kittel celebrated the triumph in an Instagram post on Sunday night, beginning with: “Victory in Valencia!!!”

“What a rollercoaster today! First race for me in the car, coaching [Unibet Rose Rockets] on the radio through a hard day of racing. After blowing everything to pieces in the echelon, the team brought Dylan Groenewegen in a perfect position for a victory!!

“Congrats to everyone from the whole team with this fantastic start. I feel like a little boy winning his first race!! So happy with this team effort. Committed to one goal and plan! This is big for our fantastic group of people that make the Rockets who they are! hungry for more!”

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Unibet Rose Rockets will next hope to boost Groenewegen to victory at the Trofeo Palma (February 1) before he then takes on the Étoile de Bessèges (February 4-8).

They may yet be able to test their lead-out prowess on the biggest stage of all, the Tour de France, too. The French-registered team is in the running for a wildcard spot and could well make their Tour debut this July.