“Half the time, I didn't have a training plan”: Retiring Mathieu van der Poel teammate lifts lid on organizational chaos at Alpecin-Premier Tech

Johan Price-Pejtersen has decided to end his professional cycling career when his contract with Alpecin-Premier Tech expires at the end of the year. The former under-23 time trial world champion made the announcement during an appearance on the Danish podcast Forhjulslir, where he also described the organizational problems and lack of communication he experienced during his two seasons with the Belgian team.

Price-Pejtersen said his time at Alpecin left him feeling increasingly disconnected from decisions affecting his training and racing program.

“I felt I had no control over anything in my life. At the same time, the organizational structure that had control over my life was often falling behind. Half the time, I didn't have a training plan,” he explained.

The situation also left him uncertain about how to raise concerns without risking consequences for his career. “You get caught in a game: Should you say something and risk falling out with someone, meaning you don't get any races, or should you just go with the flow?”

He said the pressure eventually became difficult to manage. “At some point, it probably also ends with me lying on the floor and being unable to train for a whole week. I thought that was crazy, because I've never had a problem completing my training hours.”

Price-Pejtersen joined Alpecin after three seasons at Bahrain Victorious, where he said communication with his coach had been considerably closer. At his new team, however, he felt that the relationship between rider and coaching staff worked very differently.

“Here, you get a training plan for two months. You don't really have any input. You can't say anything. Every time you give feedback, it isn't listened to,” he said.

The Dane also described occasions when he felt the team's reliance on performance and recovery data overshadowed his own account of how he was feeling. One example concerned his Heart Rate Variability (HRV), a metric commonly used to monitor recovery and physiological stress.

“I've experienced telling my team that I feel bad on the bike, while also having poor [HRV] stats on my Whoop. They say: 'Ah, it's just psychological.'”

He argued that data was sometimes used to justify decisions. “It just becomes an argument for someone to hold on to some kind of power and tell me what to do, without taking into account how I feel.”

Price-Pejtersen's two-year contract with Alpecin-Premier Tech expires at the end of 2026, and the Dane confirmed that he will not continue racing professionally.

The 2021 under-23 time trial world champion competed on 50 race days in each of his two seasons with the Belgian team, more than during any other period of his professional career. His schedule included several major stage races and one-day events, among them the Giro d'Italia, Volta a Catalunya, Volta ao Algarve, Critérium du Dauphiné, Tour de Romandie, Tirreno-Adriatico, Strade Bianche and Renewi Tour.

Alpecin-Premier Tech has yet to comment on the allegations.