Unibet Rose Rockets have appointed Roger Hammond as sports director for the 2026 season, who joins from WorldTour team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe.
The 51-year-old Briton, who finished third at Paris-Roubaix in 2004 and twice won the British national title during his 16-year racing career, joins as part of an organisational expansion announced on 28 December. In an update on the team's Substack, the ProTeam also confirmed the addition of performance nutritionist Noelia Bonfanti, formerly of the Dutch Olympic rowing programme.
"The organisation keeps growing," said team co-fouders Devin van der Wiel and Bas Tietema. "We are not only growing in numbers, but in expertise too. He is an experienced team leader in all disciplines, especially in the Grand Tours."
Hammond has WorldTour experience. Since retiring in 2011, he has held sports director roles at Dimension Data, Bahrain Victorious and INEOS Grenadiers before joining Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in May 2024.
The appointments continue the team's evolution from the content-focused "Tour de Tietema" project. Kittel, who won 14 Tour de France stages during his career, will focus on optimising Dylan Groenewegen's sprint performance and developing the team's lead-out train.
The team also confirmed that Martijn Budding, forced to retire in September due to medical reasons, has transitioned into a staff role.
The recruitment drive follows the team's rebranding from Unibet Tietema Rockets and the securing of Rose Bikes as title sponsor. The expanded roster, which has grown to 30 riders, reflects ambitions to challenge for Spring Classics results and secure invitation to the 2026 Grand Tours.
Cover image credit: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com
