Bocholt, 14 August 26

BOCHOLT, GERMANY / UK – After forging a long-term partnership last year, the Unibet Rose Rockets and their official bike partner Rose Bikes have successfully reached their next major milestone: competing in their first-ever Grand Tour at the Giro d’Italia 2026. Racing on the brand-new Rose Shave FFX, the UCI ProTeam successfully proved itself against the world's cycling elite on the legendary Italian passes.

The foundation for this successful Grand Tour debut was laid when Rose Bikes became the co-title sponsor of the team, previously known as the Unibet Tietema Rockets, agreeing to a four-year partnership that officially commenced in 2026. Both brands are united by a clear goal: to make cycling more accessible and approachable by combining professional racing with entertaining social media content. 

"Our philosophy of opening up the sport, inspiring people, and maintaining the joy throughout perfectly aligns with what Rose embodies," says Team Owner Bas Tietema. "We are starting together and we want to grow together."

Securing the official wildcard for the Giro d'Italia 2026 was a monumental step for the team, which has set itself the ultimate goal of competing in the Tour de France. Over three demanding weeks of steep ramps in the Dolomites and nerve-wracking sprints in the valleys, the team relied on the new Shave FFX. Introduced just weeks prior to the Grand Tour, the Shave FFX is designed for uncompromising race performance and served as the official racing machine for the Rockets during the Giro.

“The Giro is emotion, energy, and pure passion – and that is exactly what our new Shave FFX reflects,” says Thorsten Heckrath-Rose, Managing Director of Rose Bikes. “We are thrilled to have lined up for our first Grand Tour with this bike.”

True to the team's direct-to-consumer DNA, the Unibet Rose Rockets provided fans with exclusive "Inside the Race" stories throughout their time in Italy. The content highlighted technical setup details, race tactics, and the unique spirit of the Rockets behind the scenes. Following strong showings in the 2025 season—including participation in Paris-Roubaix and signing World Tour sprinter Dylan Groenewegen—this successful Giro campaign proves that the partnership is passionately elevating an up-and-coming initiative on the global stage.

Rose Bikes is a customer-centred bike brand from Bocholt (NRW) with a mission to provide people with unique bike adventures. The focus of the family business is on their own high-quality mobility- and performance-oriented bike products, that are developed and assembled at their headquarters and distributed throughout Europe. This awardwinning company is a trendsetter in multichannel commerce and connects both online and offline touchpoints in terms of curation, guidance, and service. The wide range of products and services can be experienced online and in-person at Rose stores in Germany, from Bocholt to Cologne and Berlin to Munich, as well as in Switzerland at Lake Zurich and in numerous cooperation shops. For inspections and repairs, Rose Bikes has one of the broadest networks of over 270 partner workshops.  

 

Company contact Rose Bikes: 

Vincent Nast 
Communications Manager 
Email: vincent.nast@rosebikes.com