Team Picnic PostNL set to lose another one of its leaders - Who remains in the depleted World Tour roster for 2027?
CyclingSaturday, 22 August 2026 at 12:13
Team Picnic PostNL are having a brutal season, having achieved only one victory this year and sinking well below any other World Tour team in most competitive aspects. The future looks dire for the Dutch team as another one of its leaders, Nils Eekhoff, is reported to have agreed to join Decathlon CMA CGM Team in 2027.
Nils Eekhoff to join Decathlon
Decathlon is having a formidable transfer season. The signing of under-23 rider Aubin Sparfel has been confirmed; but what lies under the public eye is what's most impressive about the French team. Aside from positive indications that Paul Seixas may extend his contract - which currently lasts until the end of 2027 - the team has three riders that are said to have already agreed to join the team. All climbers.
Former Decathlon rider Ben O'Connor; Tadej Pogacar's domestique Pavel Sivakov and INEOS' Laurens de Plus are all suposedly set to join the French team next year, whilst announcements are likely to happen at a latter point in the fall. They should be joined by Nils Eekhoff, according to Wielerflits.
The Dutchman won the under-23 world championships in Yorkshire back in 2019, before being disqualified for extended drafting during the race in its earlier phases. Whilst that hampered his palmarès, it did not hide his true quality.
At the time, the then-called Team Sunweb was still a major player in the market, and a massive young talent hub. On that first year as a professional, Eekhoff joined the likes of Thymen Arensman, Felix Gall, Michael Storer and Ilan van Wilder before they would hit the prime of their careers - whilst the likes of Marc Hirschi and Jai Hindley rose to the top that very year.
Eekhoff's transition wasn't as smooth, although he nearly won the Dutch national title in his neo-pro year. His career has been more heavily marked by his victory in the 2025 Nokere Koerse, a semi-classic that perfectly put on display his talents as both a sprinter and a classics rider.
In 2026 the now 28-year old has struggled after an illiac surgery operation, which has prevented him from achieving his best form. Nevertheless, his talent hasn't gone unrecognized, and he will continue to be part of the World Tour in 2027.
The French team signed Tobias Lund Andresen and Olav Kooij this past winter, and a full leadout for the latter. Eeekhoff, a compatriot, should join this leadout train for the Tour de France stage winner.
Nils Eekhoff should join Decathlon CMA CGM Team in 2027
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Picnic PostNL down to the bare bones
The 2027 Team Picnic PostNL squad looks likely to be a level below that of 2026, in terms of quality. If the season has already looked complicated, with Casper van Uden taking its only victory, than this goal may be even more complicated as the Dutch rider has already been officially signed by Alpecin-Premier Tech.
The team's entire sprinter block has either departed or will leave at the end of the year. Pavel Bittner, its leader for the Tour de France, will join Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team; whilst the team's big investment Fabio Jakobsen has not reached the end of his contract, and became a Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider already now in August. Eekhoff's departure fully cements the team's current sprinter block, meaning new signings will be mandatory.
Last winter the team's eight signings revolved mostly around continental and under-23 riders, whilst for 2027, the team has development team riders Mees Vlot and Milan de Ceuster already confirmed. There are 16 riders under contract for 2027, from which only Max Poole - who has spent almost the entirety of 2026 out of action - can be termed a leader.
The team will struggle to have leverage to sign new leaders from the World Tour. Meanwhile, Frank van den Broek and Bjorn Koerdt, two of the team's other leaders, have not yet extended with the team and might be on their way out.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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