Picnic PostNL commission investigation into team culture after accusations it had become a 'dictatorship'

The Picnic PostNL team have responded to allegations of an unsafe working environment by Dutch broadcaster NOS and cycling podcast In De Waaier, saying it will commission an independent investigation into their team culture.

"The accounts shared by current and former riders and staff members affect us. At the same time, we do not recognise ourselves in the overall picture presented in the publications," the Dutch WorldTour team said in a statement.

"The fact that experiences differ does not diminish the seriousness of the accounts that have now come to light. We will therefore commission an independent investigation into how our team culture is experienced in practice and to what extent it reflects the culture we strive for."

The  investigation by NOS and In De Waaier was based on confidential interviews with 71 current and former employees. They claimed to have uncovered widespread allegations of an unsafe working environment under team boss Iwan Spekenbrink and sporting director Rudi Kemna.

Former rider Martijn Tusveld and Adriaan Helmantel, who coached Tom Dumoulin, spoke out publicly. Tusveld claimed that when he questioned team tactics after the 2020 Giro d'Italia, he was excluded from major races and eventually suffered mentally.

"I also thought about hurting myself,"  Tusveld revealed.

Helmantel claimed the team became a "dictatorship" after its early success, with team management controlling and limiting rider input.

The Picnic team has struggled to secure results in 2026, with concerns about its sponsorship and budget. However, the team has said it will apply for a UCI WorldTour licence for 2027.

NOS Sport and In De Waaier said they gave Picnic PostNL an opportunity to respond to the allegations, but team manager Iwan Spekenbrink declined to comment. The team said it offered to meet NOS to discuss their philosophy and vision, but the offer was not taken up. The team said they were only given a few days to respond to a number of questions. 

In their statement, Picnic highlighted its philosophy via three promises regarding fair, healthy and responsible sport, safe collaboration based on shared values, and continuity and job security.

"In a performance-driven environment such as professional sport, things can go wrong. That is why there are several ways for people within our team to raise problems and concerns," Picnic said in their statement.  

"Riders have a personal coach, there is a Rider Committee, and staff members can turn to confidential advisers. If people have felt unsafe within our organisation or have felt they lacked sufficient opportunity to raise concerns, we want to understand how that could have happened.

"We are proud of what we have built since 2008 together with the many people who are, or have been, part of and associated with this team. Precisely for that reason, we believe it is important to take a critical look at ourselves.

"We will therefore commission an independent, professional investigation into our team culture. We will take its findings seriously and implement any improvements that may be needed, out of respect for everyone who is, or has been, part of Team Picnic PostNL."