Starting next season, dsm-firmenich will no longer appear in the peloton. The Dutch-Swiss company is stepping down as the main title sponsor of Iwan Spekenbrink’s team and will be succeeded by the online supermarket Picnic. "With Picnic joining us, we will further strengthen the team’s performance and contribute to a future where we continue to innovate and bring out the best in ourselves and in each other and so keep progressing the team as a whole," the team stated.
Following a successful season, Picnic has committed to supporting the team until at least 2028, according to the press release. "Starting next season, we will be a proud partner of Team Picnic PostNL. Cycling promotes health and connection, just as we do by delivering fresh, healthy products every day. Like professional cyclists, our employees brave all weather conditions and always strive for the best results. Together, we aim for the best results every day and look forward to the moments we will experience together," said Michiel Muller, co-founder of Picnic.
Iwan Spekenbrink, who remains the team’s CEO, expressed his enthusiasm for the new partnership. "The arrival of Picnic is incredibly exciting for multiple reasons. Picnic’s key values – innovation, quality and promoting a healthy lifestyle – are naturally very close to ours. Both Picnic and the team are organizations which display a lot of enthusiasm, ambition and a great drive to progress and make things happen; we both consider a challenge first and foremost as an opportunity rather than a limitation," Spekenbrink said.
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"With Picnic joining us, we will further strengthen the team’s performance and contribute to a future where we continue to innovate and bring out the best in ourselves and in each other and so keep progressing the team as a whole," Spekenbrink continued. "At the same time, we are motivated to join Picnic in their journey to grow and expand across Europe, with their current focus on France, Germany and the Netherlands. We want to take the opportunity to thank dsm-firmenich for the many years of invaluable partnership and we look forward to continuing working closely alongside them and their amazing spirit as very driven, leading innovators, in particular. With Picnic and the great combination of prestigious partners by our side, we will continue to build a sustainable and successful team."
As one door opens, another closes. The team is saying goodbye to dsm-firmenich as title sponsor after several years, although the company will remain onboard as an innovation partner. "Today’s arrival of Picnic as new title partner marks a great milestone for the team," said dsm-firmenich CEO Dimitri de Vreeze. "As a longtime partner, dating back from 2015, the focus has been on accelerating the innovations around nutrition and health to optimize the riders’ performance. Together we have built an outstanding and promising foundation for the years to come for all riders. The arrival of two new title partners to the team over the last two years is a testament of that strong foundation. We will continue to support the team and remain their innovation partner in nutrition and health."