Picnic PostNL problems worsen - Bike sponsor Lapierre in financial trouble as riders could soon be racing on different bikes
Cycling
Picnic PostNL may well see their ongoing problems worsen as their bicycle sponsor's future has been threatened by financial worries. In a season that has seen their status as a WorldTour team due to disappointing performances, their UCI ranking most recently dropped to 29th - well below the race for survival.
French manufacturer Lapierre's parent company, Accell Group, has seen their activities suddenly cease with immediate effect. The parent company also includes well-known names such as Batavus, Koga, and Raleigh.
For Lapierre, their daily operations have not immediately ceased, but has now officially filed for reorganization with the court in Dijon to salvage its finances. The company says that it is not an announcement of bankruptcy, but is a legal step to avoid a permanent closure.
In an official statement, Director General William Perrier responded to the crisis as they seek to find a new investor. He said: "We will fight to save as many jobs as possible and keep this story alive in Dijon."
If Lapierre were to cease operations, both the men and women's teams use Xelius DRS models, making a change of equipment mid-season a logistically difficult move.
Difficult period for Picnic PostNL
Meanwhile, some of the team's marquee riders are already confirmed their exit ahead of the 2027 season, further compounding the loss of Oscar Onley to INEOS last season.
Last week, Fabio Jakobsen confirmed that he and the team had mutually agreed an immediate departure. Jakobsen leaves Picnic PostNL after a largely frustrating period that produced just one victory, at the 2024 Tour of Türkiye, while injuries, poor form and repeated struggles prevented him from returning to his former level.
With his contract originally due to expire at the end of the 2026 season, both parties instead opted for an early separation. The Dutchman is now a free agent and has been strongly linked with an immediate move to Team Visma | Lease a Bike.
Fabio Jakobsen has left Picnic PostNL
Bittner and Jakobsen depart team
Sprinter Pavel Bittner will also head to Pinarello Q36.5 while Casper van Uden is bound for Alpecin - Premier Tech.
23-year-old Bittner becomes another proven WorldTour-level addition to Tom Pidcock's team following the already-announced arrival of Mauro Schmid, who added a Giro d'Italia stage victory to his palmares earlier this season.
Bittner brings Grand Tour success of his own. He claimed his breakthrough victory on stage 5 of the 2024 Vuelta a Espana, beating Wout van Aert in a photo finish, and has since completed two editions of the Tour de France.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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