Traumatised riders expose toxic culture of fear at Picnic PostNL: 'I thought about hurting myself'

The NOS and In de Waaier—which released a four-part podcast series on the circumstances—conducted confidential interviews with 71 anonymous individuals involved in the matter, who work or have worked for the team as riders, staff members, or team managers.

People have been traumatised by their time with the team. There is talk of a culture of fear and an unsafe work environment.

Martijn Tusveld is one of the people who is stepping forward. The now 33-year-old Dutchman rode for Sunweb, DSM, and dsm-firmenich PostNL between 2019 and 2024—all predecessors of Picnic PostNL. At first, he felt at home, but the turning point came during the 2020 Giro d’Italia. Team leader Wilco Kelderman dropped back, and Jai Hindley was suddenly chosen instead. Tusveld didn’t immediately agree with that decision. And that didn’t go well.

"Two months later, I was put on a new program," Tusveld says in a mini-documentary. "Even though I’d earned so much trust before, suddenly I wasn’t riding in any Grand Tours or major races anymore." Team manager Rudi Kemna brushed it off again. “He didn’t really want to talk about it. He said, ‘Aren’t there plenty of other great races besides the Grand Tours?’ I felt powerless.”

Tusveld then found himself in a difficult situation. In the years that followed, he had to keep proving himself to keep his spot on the team. So he just kept his mouth shut and smiled at all the plans. “That was my strategy for survival. I did get anxious, though.” At first, the climber didn’t get a new contract. That is, until two riders left for another team. Then there was room for the Dutchman.

"But I wasn't the same person anymore. The fear remained: for years, I didn't dare give feedback or share my feelings. No matter what situation I found myself in, I no longer dared to truly speak my mind. Because of that, I was also unable to develop into a good captain because I didn’t feel I was allowed to speak up,” Tusveld wrote in a letter to Kemna.

Tusveld’s accounts are corroborated by his former colleagues. Several reports have been filed with the Association of Professional Cyclists, says attorney Jeroen van Keulen. “In recent years, I’ve picked up on several signs and heard stories that align with what Martijn has said."

"A culture of fear? I can’t speak to individual cases, but I do recognise that there is an overlap in the stories of the various riders I’ve spoken with.”

Several anonymous sources shared their stories. “This is an unsafe work environment. No doubt about it. It’s only safe for employees when you have a say, when you feel connected.” Other sources said the following: “They gave me the impression that they were complicated. And I held onto that feeling for a long time as my career progressed. I doubted myself for a long time. That experience really took its toll on me.” And: “If you voice criticism, you’re pushed out.”

Coach Adriaan Helmantel, who worked with the team between 2013 and 2018, tells his story on camera for the NOS. He mentions an altitude training camp with Tom Dumoulin, just before the Giro d'Italia. “He was completely burned out; we’d reached our limit. I said, ‘You know what? Just get in the car.’"

"I thought it was the right choice. But Iwan thought I’d made a mistake. He felt that I’d prioritized the mental over the physical by cutting the training session from 6.5 hours to 4 hours.”

That year, Dumoulin won the Giro. In Bergen, both the men’s and women’s teams won the World Championship team time trial. But after that, the ties between coaches and riders were severed. Asking a rider how he or she is doing is no longer allowed. “Maybe because we were so successful, they thought they had to step in and keep things the same. I feel like they took a wrong turn there,” says Helmantel.

More strange decisions were made. For example, riders were only allowed to drink sports drinks during races because they’re more nutritious. “How do they come up with this stuff? It was sometimes over forty degrees during the Tour de France,” says an anonymous source. “It’s a form of tyranny.”

“It’s indoctrination over there. It’s like a cult. If you give feedback, you’re going against the philosophy.” “Everyone there is afraid. Afraid of management.” Plain and simple.

And so there are many riders and staff members who are still feeling the effects of their time at Picnic PostNL and its predecessors. “It’s taken a toll on me, at any rate,” says Tusveld. “And from the stories I’ve heard, a lot of people didn’t leave on good terms, and a lot of people have been affected by it.”

In his letter to Kemna, he spoke about depressive thoughts. “I’ve thought about hurting myself.” Fortunately, Tusveld has recovered. “Things are going a lot better now. Last year, I was still sad and angry about how things turned out, but I’m gradually coming to terms with it. I’m also happy as a non-cyclist these days.”