EXCLUSIVE The cycling season starts proper on Saturday as the peloton takes to the cobbled roads of Belgium in the Omloop Nieuwsblad – and the Unibet Tietema Rockets will be part of the pack
Bas Tietema has stood on this hellish hill before – the cobbled climb that rises suddenly, almost violently, out of the centre of Geerardsbergen.
He’s seen it all before.
The famous chapel at the top, standing guard over the city, listening to the silent prayers of cyclists wishing for the suffering to end as the gradient hits double digits.
The narrow cobbled lane that suffocates riders as throngs of fans stretch their necks to catch a glimpse of their heroes on the sport’s most famous battlefield.
The Kapelmuur is cycling’s answer to the holy land.
On Saturday (March 1), the famous old hill will welcome another pilgrimage as the cycling season properly swings into action with opening weekend’s first salvo.
And as Belgian winter tip-toes into the early embraces of spring, the peloton will roll out of Ghent with the Unibet Tietema Rockets as part of the pack.
“Looking back, I think, is sometimes the most difficult part,” Tietema admits when speaking exclusively to Daily Star Sport. “You’re always in such a rush and every day aiming for more and more.
“It’s in these moments, when we’re releasing the Omloop Nieuwsblad wildcard announcement, that you see the whole journey back!”
Tietema once had dreams of going pro himself but admitted the strict life of a cyclist wasn’t for him. Instead, he moved into social media, launching a YouTube channel alongside close friends Devin van der Wiel and Josse Wester.
It was 2019, and three friends journeyed to the Tour de France to create content – one such video saw the trio deliver pizza and beer to cyclists, and as it went viral, he knew he was onto something special.
“It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Tietema added.
Out of that YouTube channel, a cycling team emerged – one that is now a UCI ProTeam in cycling’s second division. And with their recent promotion, the Rockets can now compete in the calendar’s top events.
The cobbles of Omloop are just the start – they will grace the Queen of the Classics later this spring as they go to war in Paris-Roubaix before heading to the rolling hills of Limburg in Amstel Gold.
However, one race stands above them all for their ultimate goal: the Tour de France.
“We’ve set our ambitions pretty high – and we’re doing that on purpose,” Tietema added. “Setting up a continental team out of nothing is a hell of a job, but, in the end, reaching the Tour de France, I think, is capable!”
It’s a funny old sport, cycling – it’s edging into the future but remains steeped in history and moored into the past. Tietema and his team are looking to challenge this and have put content creation at the front of their business model.
“We want to tell the whole story, transparently, about how three guys set up a team and brought that same team towards the Tour de France,” the Dutchman admitted.
However, he noted it’s difficult in the prim and proper world of professional cycling. “We can try and do that our way, like with our Rockets identity, but we still have to run a cycling team.
“Not everybody in the sport has the same background and ideas as me. I want to reach the Tour de France – but I’ll admit it’s going to be a challenge.
“We have to find that line and say ‘these are our values’! We are doing some things differently, but we’re running a cycling team with mechanics and soigneurs.
“We still have to deal with wildcards; we still have to deal with the politics and sponsors. We’re dependent on specific partners too, so we are trying to break some barriers, but we have to admit some things will always be there.
“We can’t change cycling! So we are focused on the things we can control – because content is something you can create yourself!”
The Rockets’ YouTube channel is one step, and their identity is another. The Unibet Tietema Rockets, who rebranded over the winter, were once known as TDT–Unibet Cycling Team. Tietema explained it was all about creating an identity.
“In the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg), it’s a well-known brand [Tour de Tietema].
“But starting a professional cycling team… it was quite an unknown name! A lot of teams are struggling with their identity, they’re trying with nicknames – and we were doing that, but it wasn’t public.”
In cycling, teams are named after their sponsors; using the Rockets nickname as part of their official name was a way to create an identity unlike any other team.
“I think we’re the first movement in the cycling industry to have that name and to use a nickname on jerseys, bikes, and our team name!
“And I think that’s unique… and I hope other teams will follow in the near future,” Tietema added.
It’s all part of a larger plan for the team, with Tietema explaining how he now wants the results to follow their social media presence while keeping his core values of making cycling fun.
Odd Christian Eiking was one of the names to join over the winter; the experienced Norwegian once donned the leader’s jersey at the Vuelta a Espana. Tietema hopes he will be one of the stars to shine in blue this season.
“We need to finish in the top 30 in the UCI rankings if we want to compete in a grand tour next season,” but the Rockets will still have to navigate the wildcard field.
“It’s mainly one or two guys that decide who is going where – and these guys are from a different generation! Q36.5 and Tudor are being talked about now because they’ve got that one specific rider that will bring something different to the race!
“If you bring one big name to the race you’re suddenly in,” he sighed.
“Well creating media reach, or doing something similar in different ways, is bringing value in – but it’s not seen in the same light… I think it would be best to tell people ‘OK this is the reason those teams are going to those races’.”
The Tour de France is the dream, and for a team that is built on telling stories – that one might just top the whole lot.