Spekenbrink on exploding budgets and Picnic partnership: "I’ve never seen a euro win a race"

It’s certainly easier to pronounce: Team DSM Firmenich PostNL will become Team Picnic PostNL starting next season. On Wednesday evening, it was announced that the online supermarket Picnic will provide Iwan Spekenbrink’s team with additional funding. While DSM Firmenich will no longer appear in the team’s name, it will remain connected to the team.

As for whether Picnic’s involvement will mean a larger budget, Spekenbrink declined to comment on that in an interview he did with Dutch outlet AD. “The most important thing is sustainability. We’ve signed a four-year contract, which guarantees the team’s existence for the coming years,” he said. This is a crucial factor in cycling, where financial stability is often uncertain due to the sport’s unfavorable economic model.

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Iwan Spekenbrink

"I've never seen a euro win a race. Riders do"

Picnic’s funding gives the Dutch team manager some peace of mind for the next four years. It also benefits the riders. “This makes the team more attractive for riders who want not only good coaching, but also financial security,” Spekenbrink noted.

A new sponsor was crucial in order for the Dutch team to remain competitive. “Budgets are exploding. As a team, you’re competing with countries in the Middle East where the financial resources seem limitless. That’s the current reality in the cycling world.”

Spekenbrink, however, refuses to be discouraged. “Thankfully, I’ve never seen a euro win a race. Riders do. And not every rider fits into those kinds of teams. That can be in terms of numbers or the roles they’d have there. With Picnic, PostNL, DSM Firmenich, and Accel Group, which supplies our new Lapierre bikes, we have four Dutch companies joining forces to take on the competition. I’m quite proud of that.”

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Fabio Jakobsen at the Tour de France

A Dutch identity for Team Picnic PostNL, where Jakobsen will also flourish again

Since PostNL joined the team last year, the former German-licensed squad has adopted a more Dutch identity. With Visma | Lease a Bike becoming increasingly international, Spekenbrink sees a new Dutch alliance forming around major Dutch companies. “Our orange roots are definitely important. It would be great to attract top Dutch riders. But it would also be very nice to develop them ourselves. There’s plenty of potential and talent in the Netherlands. Our development team offers space for that,” he explained.

Finally, Spekenbrink addressed Fabio Jakobsen’s situation. To put it mildly, his arrival to the team hasn’t been the resounding success many hoped for. “Will things go well with Fabio Jakobsen next season? Yes, absolutely. Why? Because Fabio is a very good rider. Last year, we were a bit behind the curve, partly due to injuries. But if he has a good winter now, which it looks like he will, the wins will come.”

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