Team Picnic PostNL arrive at the start of the 2026 season in a uniquely precarious position. Bottom of the Women’s WorldTour rankings in 2025, stripped of several long-standing leaders, and granted only a one-year WorldTour licence due to financial uncertainty, the Dutch squad face a year that is as much about survival as it is about sporting ambition.
The contrast with earlier iterations of the team is stark. Once home to established stars and a reliable pipeline of results, Picnic PostNL now look fundamentally reshaped, younger, leaner, and operating under greater scrutiny than any other team in the division.
A difficult 2025 and a shrinking margin for error
The 2025 season exposed many of the structural pressures facing the team. Only four victories were recorded, with Charlotte Kool accounting for the most prominent result before her mid-season departure. Kool’s stage win at the Baloise Ladies Tour and her overall sprint contribution earlier in the year offered rare highlights in what was otherwise a challenging campaign.
Franziska Koch’s German national road race title provided a morale boost, while Mara Roldan delivered a breakthrough moment by winning a stage of the Tour of Britain Women. That victory, however, was followed almost immediately by injury. Roldan was hurt the day after her win and has since experienced repeated setbacks linked to the original issue, significantly disrupting her development and availability. Her long-term trajectory remains promising, but expectations for early 2026 must be tempered.
Juliana Londono’s Colombian national title added another bright spot, but collectively the results underlined a lack of depth and consistency at the WorldTour level.
Structural uncertainty and licence pressure
Perhaps the most defining feature of Picnic PostNL’s 2026 outlook is the one-year WorldTour licence. While all other current Women’s WorldTour teams were awarded standard three-year licences, Picnic PostNL’s shorter term reflects ongoing financial concerns and places immediate pressure on sporting performance, stability and visibility.
This context matters. Every race result, every sponsor-facing moment and every competitive showing in 2026 will carry weight beyond the immediate sporting outcome. The team are racing not only for placings, but for their long-term place in the WorldTour.
Major departures reshape the squad
The scale of turnover heading into 2026 cannot be overstated. Kool’s departure to Fenix-Premier Tech removed the team’s most reliable winner. Franziska Koch moved on to FDJ United-SUEZ, while Nienke Vinke joined Team SD Worx-Protime. Megan Jastrab and Francesca Barale also exited, further thinning experience and horsepower.
More symbolically, Marta Cavalli’s retirement closed a chapter that never truly reopened after her serious crash at the 2022 Tour de France Femmes. Cavalli was once central to the team’s climbing ambitions, but despite determined attempts to return, she was never able to fully regain her previous level. Her retirement leaves both a sporting and emotional gap.
Photo Credit: St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93Recruitment aimed at rebuilding rather than replacing
With limited resources and significant losses, Picnic PostNL’s recruitment strategy for 2026 has been pragmatic. Rather than chasing established stars, the team have prioritised riders who can grow into roles or stabilise the roster.
Lucie Fityus stands out within that context. After a strong spring campaign in 2025, where she consistently featured in aggressive racing and finals across one-day events, Fityus arrives as a rider capable of either supporting or sharing leadership duties in the Classics. Her ability to read races and endure repeated efforts makes her a natural complement to Pfeiffer Georgi.
Robyn Clay brings sprint potential and a willingness to race aggressively, while Gaia Masetti adds depth for hilly one-day races following her move from AG Insurance-Soudal. Several younger riders step up from development and continental programmes, including Megan Arens and Daniela Hezinova, signalling a renewed emphasis on long-term development. Dilyxine Miermont adds experience from Ceratizit Pro Cycling, while Audrey De Keersmaeker and Mia Griffin broaden the team’s all-round options.
These signings do not replace what has been lost in raw output, but they do suggest a deliberate attempt to reset rather than patch over structural cracks.
Retained leaders and internal responsibility
Despite the upheaval, Picnic PostNL have retained a core group that will carry much of the responsibility in 2026. Central to that is Pfeiffer Georgi, whose role has never been more clearly defined. The team’s competitive ceiling in 2026 feels closely tied to how effectively Georgi can convert her consistency and Classics pedigree into results.
Georgi has ridden for the team since 2019 and this remains the only professional environment she has known. However, the instability surrounding Picnic PostNL inevitably raises questions about long-term security. A strong season would not only be vital for the team’s survival but could also place Georgi in a position of significant leverage within the wider transfer market.
Alongside her, Rachele Barbieri continues to offer sprint experience and race nous, while Eleonora Ciabocco and Elise Uijen remain important development pieces. Becky Storrie and Josie Nelson provide versatility and reliability across stage races, while Juliana Londono’s continued presence offers upside, particularly if she can translate national-level success into consistent international results.
Roldan’s return, when it comes, will be closely watched. Her 2025 breakthrough showed genuine potential, but careful management will be essential after a difficult year physically.
A season defined by realism
Team Picnic PostNL enter 2026 with fewer certainties than at any point in their recent history. The combination of financial pressure, licence uncertainty and a significantly weakened roster means expectations must be realistic.
This is not a team built to chase overall classifications or dominate WorldTour events. Instead, success will be measured in smaller increments: visible racing, opportunistic results, development of younger riders, and signs of organisational stability.
If those boxes are ticked, Picnic PostNL can make a credible case for continuity beyond 2026. If not, the risk of slipping further from the WorldTour becomes very real.
2026 Team Picnic PostNL Roster
- Megan Arens
- Silje Bader
- Rachele Barbieri
- Eleonora Ciabocco
- Robyn Clay
- Audrey De Keersmaeker
- Lucie Fityus
- Pfeiffer Georgi
- Mia Griffin
- Ella Heremans
- Daniela Hezinova
- Juliana Londono
- Gaia Masetti
- Dilyxine Miermont
- Josie Nelson
- Mara Roldan
- Becky Storrie
- Elise Uijen
