Groenewegen Wins Ronde van Brugge as Rose Rockets Celebrate Maiden WorldTour Victory
Dylan Groenewegen powered to victory at the newly rebranded Ronde van Brugge, outsprinting Jasper Philipsen in a chaotic finale battered by crosswinds and crashes to hand Unibet Rose Rockets their first-ever UCI WorldTour victory. The Dutchman's perfectly timed burst down the finishing straight in Bruges crowned a remarkable week in which he also won the Bredene Koksijde Classic and the GP Jean-Pierre Monsere.
The race, formerly known as Classic Brugge-De Panne before a rebrand prompted by safety concerns following the 2025 edition's crash-marred finale, lived up to the drama of its predecessors. Fierce crosswinds in the opening hours split the peloton into echelons, and a late crash thinned the lead group further, leaving only the most alert sprinters in contention when the race hit the cobbled streets of the medieval city.
Groenewegen launched his sprint from behind Philipsen's wheel with 200 metres to go, using the Alpecin-Deceuninck man's slipstream before unleashing a devastating kick that carried him clear by half a bike length at the line. Tobias Lund Andresen crossed in third, with Tim Merlier fourth after being caught on the wrong side of a late split.
The victory represents far more than a single race win for the Rose Rockets project. The team, which earned its WorldTour licence for 2026 after years as a ProTeam, has been one of the season's most compelling storylines. Behind the scenes, former sprint great Marcel Kittel has reinvented himself as the team's sprint coach, and the partnership with Groenewegen has been transformative. Four victories in a single week suggest the combination is only getting stronger.
"This is what we've been building towards," Groenewegen said at the finish. "The team believed in me when others had doubts. Marcel understands what it takes to win these sprints — he's been there himself. Having him in the car changes everything." Kittel, who walked away from professional cycling in 2019 citing burnout and mental health struggles, described his return to the sport through coaching as "the most fulfilling chapter" of his cycling career.
For Philipsen, the runner-up finish continues a frustrating early spring. The Belgian, who won Gent-Wevelgem four days later, could not find a way past Groenewegen on a day when the Rose Rockets leadout train delivered their sprinter to the final metres in ideal position. The result confirmed that the WorldTour's newest team is no longer content to simply make up the numbers.