After Onley's departure, Picnic PostNL say farewell to domestique Edmondson - who has chosen to retire

At the end of 2025, Picnic PostNL had already been forced to swallow a bitter pill with the departure of Oscar Onley, who signed for INEOS Grenadiers after an outstanding season: a major loss for the Dutch squad. Earlier this year, however, the team had already said goodbye to another rider - one who has now decided to step away from the sport altogether.

Australian rider Alex Edmondson has announced his retirement after ten seasons at WorldTour level, as he revealed on Instagram. His contract with Picnic PostNL was not renewed after three years, and with the new season approaching, Edmondson has now decided to end his search for a new team. Following Romain Bardet, he becomes the second rider from the squad to call it a day.

Before turning professional, Edmondson was considered one of Australia’s biggest talents, both on the road and on the track. He became the second-youngest rider ever selected to represent Australia at the Olympic Games. In 2015, he beat Gianni Moscon at the Tour of Flanders U23, but he was never quite able to reach that same level again on the road.

Before turning professional, Edmondson was considered one of Australia’s biggest talents, both on the road and on the track. He became the second-youngest rider ever selected to represent Australia at the Olympic Games. In 2015, he beat Gianni Moscon at the Tour of Flanders U23, but he was never quite able to reach that same level again on the road. On the track, however, Edmondson enjoyed far greater success. He became a multiple-time world champion in the team pursuit and claimed Olympic silver in the discipline at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

On the road, Edmondson claimed the Australian national title in 2018 — the only professional victory of his career. “As 2025 comes to an end, so does my time racing bikes,” he wrote in his farewell message. “It’s a sport I’ve given everything to for the past 20 years. Cycling has given me so much - lifelong mates, unforgettable experiences, and the chance to see some pretty incredible parts of the world.”

seems likely that Edmondson - whose sister Annette was also a professional cyclist - will remain involved in the sport in some capacity. “ I might be stepping away from racing, but cycling will always be a big passion of mine," he said. "I’m excited to stay involved and hopefully give back to the next generation.” Will we see him return as a sports director at Picnic PostNL, or perhaps at his former team Jayco AlUla? Time will tell.