"They thought they found the winning formula" - Former coach explains Picnic PostNL managements' missteps as stubbornness
Cycling
Team Picnic PostNL has taken more than enough blows in the racing weeks. Ever since NOS came out with a massive report on a "culture of fear and distrust" present in the WorldTour team's ranks, several former riders of the team such as Nicholas Roche and Molly Weaver have spoken out to support these claims.
But it's not all bad news. For instance, Picnic's veteran and road captain John Degenkolb has opposed to the "dictatorship" claims, pointing towards a rather sensational direction of the investigation which discarded all the positive voices, such as Degenkolb's, from its report.
Picnic PostNL's former coach and sports director Michiel Elijzen brings his own point of view based on his three seasons (2019-2021) on the In de Waaier podcast hosted by Thijs Zonneveld.
"For three years, I was part of a system, and specifically part of the support staff. That’s quite different from being a mechanic, a carer, or a rider. You bear responsibility for the well-being of the people on the team. It made me reflect: what was my role in all of this?"
Elijzen acknowledges that critical voices within the Picnic PostNL structure were likely dismissed by its management, creating an oppressive feeling against the involved individual.
"You can have conversations, but there’s a difference between having a discussion and actually feeling heard. I did speak with Rudi (Kemna) and Marloes (Poelman), and they were always keen to clarify their philosophy - which is something that also comes through in the accounts shared by others. You might have the best intentions, but that doesn't answer the question of how those intentions are actually perceived by the people involved."
Stuck in the past
From the other side of the barricade, the Dutch coach can also understand the point of view of people in Picnic's management positions. However twisted it may have become over the years.
"In some ways, they did something exceptionally well. They grew from a small team into the best team in the world, so I can see why they might think: 'We’ve cracked the code of cycling; we’ve found the winning formula.' It’s understandable that they would want to hold onto that."
Oscar Onley's success story at 2025 Tour de France was yet another testament to the quality work with young riders at Picnic
But once things started to go south a couple years ago, the leadership became too stubborn in their approach to the situation. "It’s a fairly logical reaction for them to believe that things went well because of them. But when things don’t go well, you also have to take responsibility for the fact that you might be part of the reason why."
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Finally, Elijzen wishes to highlight that not everything Picnic PostNL has done has been a work of evil. Over the years, the German (and later Dutch) structure produced an overwhelming amount of quality professional riders who have since spread across the cycling world. That legacy carries onto this date with at least four development team riders set for a WorldTour promotion in 2027.
"We also need to acknowledge the positives: ultimately, I think Sunweb - and the team under its various other names - did an incredibly good job of developing young riders," the former coach concludes.
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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