Live, the commissaires initially awarded third to Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team’s Moschetti, leaving Groenewegen, the headline sprinter of Unibet Tietema Rockets, in fourth. However, the gap was so tight that many fans and analysts questioned the call.
Groenewegen’s front wheel was barely visible in the original image, which led the organisers to give Moschetti the benefit of the doubt. But the case didn’t close there. Nine days later, after a more exhaustive review, the organisation announced an official change to the result: Groenewegen moves up to third and Moschetti to fourth.
The key was a detailed reconstruction of the finish, which allowed a more precise reading of the Dutchman’s wheel position at the decisive instant. According to that review, Groenewegen led by centimetres – literally the width of a tyre – over his Italian rival to claim the final step on the podium.
Few public details were offered about the technical process or why the ruling took more than a week to arrive.
Biniam Girmay won the 2026 Clásica de Almería
Valuable UCI points for Unibet
For Bas Tietema’s squad, the news was a welcome surprise in the inbox. Third place delivers the team’s seventh podium of the season and, in practical terms, twenty additional and valuable UCI points in their push to consolidate within the professional ranks.
Now, with the podium officially confirmed, the Unibet Tietema Rockets turn their focus to the Flemish block. The immediate schedule includes Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne – Bruxelles – Kuurne, where they will look to keep adding points. Alongside Groenewegen, the team will field Slovakian Lukáš Kubiš, one of last spring’s revelations, as an intriguing card on the pavé.
The wait was long, but for Groenewegen the final outcome confirms what he sensed as he crossed the line: that sprint in Almería was worth a podium.