Does Picnic PostNL have the next Pedersen or Van Aert? “You have to believe”

Bittner is certainly not a new name in the peloton. The 23-year-old Czech moved up from Picnic PostNL’s development set-up to the WorldTour team back in August 2022. From there, he steadily built his engine and explosive kick. In 2023 he already collected some strong placings, but 2024 brought a first real breakthrough.

That spring, Bittner finished second at the Grand Prix Criquielion and tenth at Nokere Koerse, but it was his autumn that really stood out. First he won two stages at the Vuelta a Burgos, before adding another victory in the Vuelta a España. In 2025 he took the next step again: Bittner was consistently sprinting for results in stage races and regularly made the top ten in one-day races as well.

After a Tour de France debut — where he didn’t quite manage to shine as a sprinter — he won the points classification at the Renewi Tour and finished on the podium at both GP de Fourmies and the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro. Little by little, he is knocking louder on the door when it comes to winning more often. Will 2026 be his true breakthrough year?

“Good and balanced. I saw my friends and family and could do things I normally don’t do. Because I still raced the Tour of Guangxi in October, I started my season a bit later. But I feel good and I didn’t have any health issues in December. After spending Christmas with my family, I went to Spain.”

“Ha! Like other years we did a 20-minute test and I improved again. But especially my physical response to a higher workload has improved. I feel better after long training days, which is very important for a sprinter and a classics rider. It’s not just the numbers — I simply feel better. I can really make the step towards becoming a leader.”

“I start a bit later than usual at the Volta ao Algarve, and the big goals — like the last seasons — are the major one-day races in the spring. I’m focusing on all the classics up to and including Paris–Roubaix, and then I’ll take some rest towards the second part of the season.”

“I’d rather combine them. A hard race in the legs, then a tough sprint from a smaller group — that’s perfect. Sprinting is really fun, but I’m also developing as an all-round rider, so I hope to show something in one-day races too. That will start at Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, but maybe also in the longer and harder classics.”

“I think a lot of sprinters nowadays can be really good with just two or three guys in support. If you have strong riders around you who can bring you to the finale and you still have energy left, that’s more important than a full lead-out. Lidl–Trek show it best: you can win bunch sprints with fewer people.”

“I did talk about that with my coach. I want to keep focusing on both, so I can keep growing as broadly as possible. Riders like Mads Pedersen and Wout van Aert win so many races — and they can also win bunch sprints. I want to get faster so I can fight the quickest guys. But I also want to keep the endurance for the one-day races. Those are still the coolest races to win.”

“Up to a certain point it’s difficult, because there will be a moment when I have to focus on what I’m best at. Then I need to get even better at that. I just hope to become a rider who can win a lot — that’s the goal. You have to find your way and discover what your biggest strength is and what your weaknesses are.”

“Everyone needs someone you look up to. You have to dream big, go for it and believe in it. Those guys have been so good for so long and they’re still improving — especially Mads. That motivates me to be like that too. We also have guys in the team like John Degenkolb, who has been around for a long time. I can learn a lot from him.”

“I think it’s realistic to aim for wins. I hope to stay healthy and race without injuries. I hope to win another stage in a Grand Tour, like I already did in the Vuelta a España. That’s the focus, even though I don’t yet know which Grand Tour I’ll ride.”

“I’ve been here for a while, so it feels like a family environment and I’m happy here. I’m growing into a leader’s role and that comes with responsibilities. I like that, because it only makes me better. I’ll just do my best and then we’ll see what happens contract-wise. Everything is open, but if the offer from Picnic PostNL is good, I’d like to stay.”

Bram van der Ploeg ( X: @BvdPloegg | email : [email protected])