There's no secret that the situation around Team Picnic PostNL is quite unsettling. Strong riders are not in a rush to sign with the Dutch team, while leading figures are on their way out. And that doesn't apply only to cyclists, but to performance staff too. According to cycling journalist Daniel Benson, sports director Matt Winston is leaving after eight seasons. His next steps will likely lead to Decathlon CMA CGM.
Winston became part of Picnic's staff in 2019, starting at the Development team. But his qualities quickly earned him a promotion to the main team where he stood behind many of Picnic's big victories, including 2020 Tour de France stage wins, or Oscar Onley's 4th place at 2025 Tour de France.
And even then, his insights continued to help shape the new generations of riders joining the team. The success of under-23 programme graduates Felix Gall, Pavel Bittner, Tobias Lund Andresen, Oscar Onley or Max Poole are self-explaining credentials.
Winston's legacy at Picnic will live on
Even in the hard times, the team was able to produce at the very least two WorldTour-ready talents in Matteo Vanhuffel and Jurgen Zomermaand who are expected to take the step up with Picnic PostNL in 2027.
"After eight years with the team, Matt has decided to leave the organisation and take on a new challenge elsewhere," according to a team press release. "After eight years of working together, the team looks back on a strong and valuable period and thanks Matt for his dedication and contribution to the team. The team wishes him the best of luck in the next chapter of his career."
More changes
Winston isn't the only one leaving. "Coaches Davide Gani and Melvin Rulliere are also leaving the team at the end of the season," reports Picnic PostNL. "The team thanks both of them for their dedication and contributions during their time with the team and wishes them all the best for the future."
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Replacing Winston is his current colleague Roy Curvers. The Dutchman has been a part of the Dutch formation from all the way back in 2008 when the formation was still known as Skil - Shimano. He witnessed both highs and lows of the team, and now hopes to contribute to a period where the positives overweigh negatives.
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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- A great route aswell. Col D'Arcy is a toughie
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - Let Torito have a shot at itRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horribleRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- I remember when Mark went through that. He was really experiencing lows and thought about quiting many times. It took him a long time to recover. I, like many others were overjoyed when he came back. I hope Lafay has been tested. I wish him the best.Paggss03-11-2026
- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
- Good Point, I wonder if he's been testedmhfrvz03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
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