"Characters less suited for professional cycling are more easily hurt" - Three-time world champion disagrees with Picnic allegations
Cycling
The storm aimed at Picnic PostNL's management in the recent weeks has weakened somewhat as the road cycling world stepped aside to make room for cyclocross over the winter. However the accusations of a "culture of fear" and dictatorship-like management continue to resonate in the cycling world.
Since the story by NOS came out, several figures have also spoken in defense of the Dutch WorldTour team, including team road captain John Degenkolb or former coach Michiel Elijzen. Most recently, former Sunweb rider Ellen van Dijk joined in with her own testimony.
Van Dijk spent two decades in women's peloton and over the course of that period, she became a three-time world champion (2013, 2021 & 2022) and four-time european champion (2016-2019) in race against the clock. She's additionally won the road race event at 2021 European Championships. Van Dijk has also been a prominent figure at the Classics with a 2014 Tour of Flanders triumph.
As for her relationship with Picnic PostNL, Van Dijk can recount two seasons spent within the structure in 2017 and 2018 seasons - when the team was known under the name Team Sunweb - which were some of the best years in her career.
However, not completely unrelated to her experience with the management, she left for Lidl-Trek ahead of 2019 season. There she concluded her career in 2025 and later joined the German team's staff ranks as a coach.
"I never experienced a culture of fear," begins Van Dijk in an interview
for Cyclingnews.
However she continues to agree with previous statements that Picnic's management can be quite stubborn at times, especially at times when riders come with their own opinions: "Management wanted you to listen to them, but I was never afraid of them."
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Overreacting..?
Although Van Dijk's experience at Sunweb had its shortcomings, she was part of the team's very successful period, and that might've helped to brush off some conflicts. But the 39-year-old also points out that you shouldn't take every harsher comment too personally, especially if they're made in affection.
"Sometimes something was said in a highly emotional state that wasn't okay, and then it depends on how sensitive you are at that moment. One time it hurts, and the next time you don't care."
"If I wanted to say something, I said it. But as a young rider, you might experience that differently. Elite sport is tough, and you need a special character for it. Characters that might be less suited for professional cycling are more easily hurt."
Ellen van Dijk is one of the best time trialists of women cycling's history
Difficult way of working
Another aspect which has been brought up was the team's reluctancy to listen to their riders' opinions - area where Van Dijk admits getting her own vision across was difficult at times.
"I had many discussions with the management. They have a specific way of working, and that didn't always fit with my way. They have strong opinions on how to work with riders, and they believe in their approach. For them, it is the only way that works."
This ultimately contributed to her decision to not extend ahead of the 2019 season - but unlike others she doesn't describe her two seasons at the team as a bitter experience. "We weren't a perfect match together," Van Dijk concludes regarding Picnic PostNL. "I didn't agree with their way of working, that's why I left."
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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