Team Picnic PostNL is dealing with what can be considered the worst season a WorldTour team has ever had. As for solution, the team hopes to rebuild over the coming years, which means many changes for 2027 season. One of them will be the departure of young climber Alexy Faure-Prost after just one season at the Dutch team.
Faure-Prost was a big revelation of under-23 season in 2023. In his first year in the category, the French climber impressed with a second place atop Stelvio during Giro Next Gen, and a second place overall at Giro Valle d'Aosta. This secured Faure-Prost an immediate jump up to WorldTour. But health problems stalled the Frenchman's progress.
After the merger between Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty last winter, the young climber had to find a new team for 2026 and turned to the Dutch team Picnic PostNL.
And even though things have gotten off to a much smoother start than in the past two seasons, teams are not exactly lining up at Faure-Prost's front door. And Picnic expressed a clear intention not to extend his one-year contract.
No longer desired
Faure-Prost was visible in Milano-Sanremo breakaway, and featured deep into La Fleche Wallonne and Tour de Romandie stages, but then things went sideways. "It was pretty good until May, with a program including a lot of WorldTour stage races and Monuments. I kept going well even without always being 100% prepared," he told his story to DirectVélo.
Things got more complicated after he fell ill at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. "I was in the best shape of my life at that time… This illness weakened me for quite a while. It took me a very long time to recover. The second half of my season was a bit more difficult, both physically and mentally."
Alexy Faure-Prost was originally part of the nomination for the 2026 Vuelta a España, but was ultimately cut off by the team without as much as an explanation.
"I was taken off the altitude training camp and then left in limbo without any clear answers. I learned shortly before the start that I wouldn't be there. It was a real blow to my morale, because without the Vuelta, I had practically no races left on my schedule. Finding yourself without a contract and with very few race days ahead is obviously a difficult time."
Instead, he travelled to Arctic Race of Norway where he claimed top-25 results in two summit finishes. Afterwards he concluded the year filling in at any races necessary.
Understandable, but cruel decision
Faure-Prost understands that, after a disaster of a season, the team has to take certain decisions to secure the team's immediate future. And unfortunately, long-term projects such as the former French under-23 champion don't fit the bill very well.
"There are a lot of changes in the roster and staff. There are undoubtedly financial reasons as well. It's understandable after a complicated season overall for the team."
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In any case, Alexy Faure-Prost remains confident that he can kick-start his career in a new environment after what he considers to have been a good build-up year. "Physically, I've made a real leap this year, even if it wasn't necessarily reflected in my personal results because of my role as a domestique."
"But in my legs, I felt the progress compared to previous years. Having completed a demanding 100% WorldTour program has allowed me to take a step forward. I know that this work will pay off and that I will be even better next year and in the years to come. That's why I don't want it to end here; I want to continue to make a living from my profession," he concludes.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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