“We finished well within the time limit”: Picnic PostNL rider slams Eneco Tour jury after being pulled from race in open traffic
Cycling
Frank van den Broek has criticised the decision to remove him from the Eneco Tour after he and a group of riders finished Friday’s third stage on roads that had been reopened to traffic. The Team Picnic PostNL rider maintains that his group completed the full course within the permitted time limit, but the race jury and police had already decided to withdraw the riders because of safety concerns.
The incident brought Van den Broek’s race to an abrupt end, preventing him from starting the final two stages. The 25-year-old had struggled on the hills around Sittard and lost contact with the main field, but he questioned why the group was excluded before reaching the finish.
“With one lap to go, my group was less than 10 minutes behind the leaders,” Van den Broek explained in a post on Instagram. “During the final lap, we were overtaken by the broom wagon. We continued and completed the full course in open traffic, finishing about 15 minutes behind the winner. Well within the 15% time limit.”
Victor Vercouillie won stage 4 of Eneco Tour 2026
Organisers defend decision on safety grounds
Eneco Tour organiser Thijs Rondhuis argued that the decision was made jointly by the race jury and police, who judged the gap to be too large for the riders to continue safely.
“The decision to withdraw riders who were more than ten minutes behind in the final lap was made by the jury and the police,” Rondhuis explained. “They considered the deficit to be so significant that the safety of the riders was at risk.”
Rondhuis said the organisers had made extensive preparations to manage traffic around the course, including road closures, traffic controllers and motorcyclists.
“We had thought it through carefully and made many adjustments. We also closed off the roads around the course so that we could manage the traffic effectively. We had skilled traffic controllers and motorcyclists, which gave us a lot of confidence. But we also know that those factors don't tell the whole story. We are happy and relieved that everything went well.”
The decision had consequences for Picnic PostNL’s remaining race strategy. “Yet because we had been taken out of the race, we cannot start tomorrow to help our teammates,” he wrote. “I'm disappointed that I won't be able to support my teammates over the next two days.”
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A demanding season comes to an early end
The episode comes after a long campaign for Van den Broek, who competed in both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France in 2026. The Dutch rider had hoped to finish the season with the Eneco Tour, but acknowledged that the accumulated physical and mental demands had taken their toll.
“To be honest, after a long, hard and demanding season, my body and mind is drained and needs a rest,” he admitted.
The Eneco Tour incident also unfolded during a difficult week for Picnic PostNL away from competition. On Thursday, Dutch broadcaster NOS and the In De Waaier podcast published an investigation featuring accounts from 71 current and former riders and staff members alleging a toxic working environment and a culture of fear within the team.
Picnic PostNL disputed the overall picture presented in the reports but announced an independent investigation into the allegations.
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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