British rider Weaver blew the whistle on Sunweb in 2020; issues new statement after the Picnic PostNL allegations

Molly Weaver, a former rider for Team Sunweb and Liv-Plantur, has spoken out on Instagram following revelations about a culture of fear within the team. The British rider had spoken up about the issues within the team ten years ago, and is now criticising the riders who are publicly sharing positive messages about Picnic PostNL.

Weaver rode for Liv-Plantur/Sunweb from June 2015 through the end of 2017. The 32-year-old British cyclist, who retired from professional racing at the end of 2018 and subsequently focused on long-distance races, finds that the news about Picnic PostNL stirs up some emotions in her.

The NOS and In de Waaier spoke with 71 people about the team, and many of them mentioned a poor work environment.

"Last week, news broke that Team Picnic PostNL (formerly known as Liv-Plantur/Sunweb during my time with them) is facing a problem," Weaver said. "I think the term 'culture of fear and mistrust' has already been used, so let's call it that. I feel both justified and angry."

"Those who have known me since my cycling days know that I wrote a number of articles about 2016, published on what was then called CyclingTips, in which I called out much of the same thing," Weaver notes. “I really have nothing to add to what I said back then, and it’s not something I’m eager to do. Because that would reopen old wounds.”

Weaver wrote for CyclingTips that the team tried to control not only her professional career but also her personal life.

She wrote that, according to the team, she was too close to a teammate. “The fact that an employer could choose my friends is ridiculous. But I did what I was told.”

"I was expected to be available all day, every day. And to document and account for everything I did and where I was at all times," she wrote at the time.

“If I dared not to respond to a message right away, I was punished for it,” was another example she cited.

Weaver links this back to the revelations from 2026 and the statements made by riders such as John Degenkolb and Warren Barguil, who defended the team.

“However, I’ve seen many posts from riders and staff members—both past and present—who deny the allegations and call those who have spoken out liars. That was also said years ago. I’m not sure what the motivation would be to make up this kind of thing, because there’s really nothing to gain from it.”

"From my own experience, I've also exposed myself, revealed issues that would damage my reputation, and in doing so, virtually ruined any chance I had of a career in the women's peloton. So I won’t be naive enough to do that a second time, and instead I just want to say that I stand in solidarity with everyone who has been wronged in any way by this team,” says Weaver.

"It definitely wasn't all bad, and the people who were part of the organization weren't all bad either. I have wonderful memories of that time and was surrounded by many fantastic people. There are stories from both sides that paint a picture, but one bad apple spoils the whole bunch, and this system has clearly produced many of them,” she continues.

"You can't monitor people at any cost and then be surprised that it comes at a price. It wasn't everyone, and it wasn't always like that, but just because you haven't been a victim doesn't mean everyone is lying. It probably just means you’ve been very lucky,” Weaver explains.

"Ruined careers and damaged minds and bodies are more than just a newspaper headline or a discussion in the comments section of a social media post. The way people are treated matters. The scars you leave on others matter. We can all learn from this, and we can all strive for positive change. I hope that’s what’s happening now for those involved, just as I did back then.”