Picnic-PostNL are seriously considering a drop down from the men’s WorldTour to UCI ProTeam status for 2027 on account of financial pressure, according to several unnamed sourced reported by Vélo-Club. The switch would put the Dutch squad in cycling’s second division after a season in which they have taken only two individual victories on the men’s side.
The idea behind the drop would be to lighten the team’s racing calendar and give them greater freedom over which races they attend. As a WorldTour team, they have to race all WorldTour races with only one race available to skip. Teams usually pick the races in China or Australia but this year saw a number of teams skipping the Tour de Romandie instead.
Picnic-PostNL’s WorldTour status was already conditional beyond 2026. The UCI granted the men’s squad a one-year licence in its December 2025 licensing decisions, when licences were being allocated for the 2026–2028 cycle.
“The UCI Licence Commission has decided to limit the duration of the licence to one year and to set conditions related to the financial criterion that must be met in order to permit its extension to the 2027 and 2028 seasons,” the governing body said.
The team must meet the financial conditions to retain WorldTour status. The reported ProTeam option would instead take them into the second division, where they could build their programme around a more selective set of objectives.
Picnic-PostNL have recorded just two victories across the entire season with both coming from the men’s side of the team with Casper van Uden winning stage 5 of the Tour of Türkiye on April 30, while Pavel Bittner won Paris-Chauny on September 27. Both victories came in sprints, with Bittner’s success arriving almost five months after Van Uden’s.
The squad also won the team classification at the Vuelta a Burgos on August 8. That is a separate classification success, rather than a third individual race or stage victory.
Bittner is one of many riders across both teams leaving at the end of the season with the Czech sprinter heading to Pinarello-Q36.5 as the Swiss squad continue to add strength to their 2027 roster. Former British champion Pfeiffer Georgi is another rider who is leaving at the end of the year with the all rounder heading to UAE Team L’IMAD.
Fabio Jakobsen has already departed. The sprinter joined Visma-Lease a Bike with immediate effect on August 14, following an agreement with Picnic-PostNL to end his contract on July 31.
Picnic-PostNL have also confirmed changes to sporting leadership. Roy Curvers will move from coaching into a leading role in Sportive Management alongside Rudi Kemna ahead of 2027. The team said coach Matt Winston will leave at the end of 2026 to take on a new challenge.
More choice, less certain race access
ProTeam status would change how Picnic-PostNL secure starts at WorldTour events. The UCI’s invitation system guarantees invitations across the WorldTour calendar to the three leading ProTeams from the previous season. Those teams can accept or decline within the regulatory timeframe, giving qualifying squads both access and a choice over their programme.
Grand Tour wildcards carry a separate ranking condition. From 2026, the UCI rules restrict those invitations to teams that finished in the top 30 of the previous season’s team ranking. That provision concerns wildcard eligibility, distinct from compulsory invitations, and makes the 2026 ranking important if Picnic-PostNL need that route into next year’s Grand Tours.
Picnic-PostNL sit 28th in the October 6 UCI team ranking with 2,662 points at the time of writing. If they finish the season inside the top 30, they would meet the ranking requirement for Grand Tour wildcards without needing an exemption, although an organiser’s invitation would still be required.
