Former Picnic PostNL rider Ramon Sinkeldam shares his own horror stories: 'It's always the same old whining'
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Follow us on GoogleMore and more people are speaking out about Picnic PostNL. Following the investigation by the NOS and In de Waaier, an increasing number of former employees have spoken out about the conditions at the Dutch team. Former pro Ramon Sinkeldam is also weighing in on the matter, and he certainly has a few stories to share.
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A culture of fear is said to have prevailed at Picnic PostNL for years. As many as 71 riders and staff members said they felt unloved and unwanted by the team. Sinkeldam spoke with Thijs Zonneveld during the initial allegations, , but decided to go into more detail on hisown podcast Beyond the KOM.
Sinkeldam felt he had to speak out about Picnic PostNL
"Because Thijs [Zonneveld] and I came to the conclusion that my story really puts things into perspective," said the former Dutch champion.
“Why? I turned pro with that team in 2012 and stayed until 2017. I went through a lot of unpleasant situations, but my issue with management wasn’t a criminal offense—it was just unpleasant. And things have gotten worse and worse since I left. Every year, they tightened the screws even more.”
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Sinkeldam felt like a 'small cog' at Picnic PostNL
During his time with Argos–Shimano, Giant–Alpecin, and Sunweb, Sinkeldam enjoyed great success. In 2017 in particular, he was often part of the winning team: he competed in the Tour de France, where the team won four stages, the mountains jersey, and the green jersey.
He himself became the Dutch champion that year. It was clear that some things were working well for the team. But there were also things that weren’t working.
"A lot of things were very well organised, and a lot of things were over the top," says the Dutchman. “As a top athlete, you’re pretty convinced you’re right; you think you’re pretty important. ‘I’m the pro athlete here,’ is kind of what you think. But in the bigger picture, you’re just a small cog in the system. And those cogs were kept as small as possible on that team.”
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Relationship between an athlete and a coach 'the most important thing there is!'
Since he left in 2017, Sinkeldam didn’t experience the worst of it—the kind of things that Tusveld, as well as Nicolas Roche and Kirsten Wild, spoke about.
“I went through some unpleasant things, but it was the team’s decision. I think it was mismanagement.” But as far as he was concerned, there were no truly egregious incidents.
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Later on, the team really tightened the screws. For example, a friendship between a coach and a rider wasn’t allowed. “As a professional athlete, you know that’s the most important thing there is! That’s the foundation. I’d rather have a coach who doesn’t know how to put together a training program but does know how to treat a person well than the other way around.”
"If you say that the trainer can't form a social bond with the rider or the coach, I find that very troubling. A rider asked for mental health support and was brushed off. You were told it wasn’t smart to become a father. You’re a human being!”- Ramon Sinkledam on the Beyond the KOM podcast
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Sinkeldam: 'Whining about those stupid protocols'
Sinkeldam himself also has a thing or two to say about frustrating moments. “It’s always that same old whining about stupid protocols. Like when we won a stage in the Vuelta and didn’t get a single congratulatory message. But: 'Guys, you’ve got the wrong water. That water from the organisation isn’t from our sponsor.' Thanks for the congratulations...”
The team also sold clothing that the riders desperately needed.
“That clothing is meant for us. We’ve been begging for leg warmers and knee pads, and none of that is available. And then afterward, you sell it. That’s so childish! But what can I say? That’s not something that’s important in the NOS and In de Waaier reports. Those reports are all about abuse of power.”- Ramon Sinkeldam
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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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