John Degenkolb (Picnic PostNL) has said he never experienced a "culture of fear" in ten seasons with the Dutch team and has asked why riders who share his view were not included in the NOS Sport and In de Waaier investigation into its workplace culture.
"In ten of my 16 years as a professional at Team Picnic PostNL, I have never experienced a 'culture of fear' – neither before nor after my deliberate return to the team in 2022," the German wrote on Instagram on October 19.
He described the post as his personal view, shared after a week's holiday. He tagged the two journalists behind the investigation and put the question to them directly: "Why were voices like mine and those of many others left out of the investigation?"
"Critical voices must be heard and taken seriously. However, for a fair and balanced examination, all relevant perspectives should be taken into account," he wrote. "Our team comprises around 160 employees, including about 60 riders per season. With an 18-year team history, there are surely 71 people with negative experiences – but exclusively negative ones?"
The investigation, published on October 15, was based on several months of conversations with 71 riders and staff who are currently at the team or have since left. The accounts described an unsafe working environment, restrictions on feedback and fear of team management. The team said it did not recognise itself in the overall picture, but announced it would commission an independent review the same day.
"The fact that experiences differ does not diminish the seriousness of the accounts that have now come to light," the team said.
Degenkolb's post follows one by Warren Barguil two days earlier. Barguil also left the team and later rejoined it, and he gave a similar personal defence. "If the management had been toxic, I would never have returned," the Frenchman wrote on October 17. He added that the reporting had hurt the team while it was "fighting for the team's future and looking for sponsors".
Degenkolb first rode for the team when it was Argos-Shimano from 2012 before leaving in 2016. In that period he won Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix with the team, and over that first spell he also took ten Vuelta a España stages and a Giro d'Italia stage in what was really a golden age for the squad. He returned in 2022 and now rides largely as a road captain, passing on his experience to younger riders. On May 1 the team announced he had extended his contract through 2027.
The UCI granted its men's and women's teams WorldTour licences for 2026 only, rather than the full 2026–2028 cycle. Any extension is contingent on financial requirements that the UCI has not disclosed. On October 9, a spokesperson rejected reports of a voluntary move by the men's team to ProTeam level and said preparations continued for 2027 in the WorldTour. The team's statement on the culture review also referred to its efforts to "secure the future of the team and, in doing so, preserve jobs within professional cycling."
