"I still really enjoy cycling" - Picnic PostNL road captain hopes to extend professional career in a new team
Cycling
Much of Timo Roosen's professional career was one with the growth story of Visma | Lease a Bike. Over his nine seasons with the Dutch team, Roosen saw its rise from bottom to a winner of all three Grand Tours in the same year his spell came to an end. Roosen moved over to Picnic PostNL. But after three uneventful seasons, the 33-year-old is out there, looking to extend his career beyond 2026.
What was even more unfortunate was Roosen's crash in spring which caused him to miss entire two months in the busiest period of the year. Afterwards, Roosen still found room to fit Vuelta a Espana in his schedule. But without any notable result nor performance, it did not exactly improve the Dutchman's position into negotiations.
"That is obviously not what you want in such a final contract year," acknowledges Roosen in an interview for WielerFlits.
Yet, he does not give up on the small chance he'll extend his professional career. "I’m not really stressed about it myself. I’m just doing everything I can, and my manager is handling the rest. I don’t really get involved. I’m not worrying about what happens either. I’ll hear about it eventually."
In any case, Roosen is set on keeping his career alive if it's only the least bit possible: "No, I really want to continue," he points out decisively. "I still really enjoy cycling and I’m still having a great time. Maybe I noticed that even more strongly during my injury. I just really wanted to get back on the bike."
Picnic PostNL are set to lose their leader Pavel Bittner ahead of 2027
Mentor role
At 33 years old, Roosen gradually shifted to the role of a mentor in Picnic PostNL, and is ready to continue pass down experience to younger riders - wherever the career takes him.
“When I joined this team, I was thirty and they were already acting like I was old," he jokes about becoming mentor at the Dutch team. "That role was already somewhat meant for me back then: working with young men and sharing my experience, for example leading up to the sprints and during meetings."
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What's up at Picnic PostNL
That the Dutch team is in severe difficulties - financially, sportingly and organzationally - is a known fact. The latest transfer window will once again take away some of the formation's quality with key departure of sprint leader Pavel Bittner (to Pinarello Q36.5). And big figures Fabio Jakobsenm, Casper van Uden and Nils Eekhoff are all leaving too.
For sprints, a reinforcement comes within French speedster Paul Penhoët who podiumed a Giro d'Italia stage this year. And experienced Jules Hesters can fill out the role of third sprinter. Meanwhile, neo-pro Frits Biesterbos has take an impressive step this year and will be an important rider for Picnic in 2027.
In the mountains, the team continues to rely on Max Poole making a successful recovery and full return to racing next year. Two interesting names in that regard arrive from development team to bolster Picnic's climbing departement - Matteo Vanhuffel and Jurgen Zomermaand (3rd and 10th at Tour de l'Avenir, respectively).
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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