Lapierre’s problems reach the WorldTour and put Picnic PostNL under pressure

The uncertainty about the future of Picnic PostNL is starting to have a concrete explanation. The Dutch team has confirmed that the economic problems of Lapierre, its current bicycle supplier, are behind the delay in presenting the necessary documentation to compete in the WorldTour of 2027. The bankruptcy of Accell, the parent company of the French brand, has accelerated the search for a new technical sponsor whose contract is still not finalized.

Picnic PostNL will have to change bicycles to compete in 2027

Last Monday, we learned that Picnic PostNL and Jayco AlUla were not included in the first list published by the UCI of teams with complete documentation for 2027. The absence of both structures, both male and female, raised new doubts about their continuity in the highest category of cycling.

Now Picnic PostNL has explained that the team is finalizing the administrative procedures, but still needs to present information related to its bicycle supplier for the upcoming season.

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the origin of the problem lies with Lapierre, the brand with which the team currently competes and whose business situation has changed radically in recent months.

The bankruptcy of several companies of Accell Group in August 2026 caused a crisis that also affected Lapierre. The historic French firm was subjected on August 25 to a judicial reorganization procedure, with an initial observation period of six months to try to ensure its continuity.

Although both situations are related, it is important to distinguish them. While several Dutch companies of Accell were declared bankrupt, Cycles Lapierre continues to be under a judicial procedure aimed at allowing its recovery.

For Picnic PostNL, the consequences are immediate. The team needs to formalize a new bicycle supply agreement for 2027 and present the corresponding information to the UCI.

The relationship between Lapierre and the team began in 2025 and was expected to last until 2028. However, the financial situation of the brand has forced an early end to the collaboration.

Picnic PostNL has already identified a new bicycle supplier, although it has not officially closed the contract yet. The team hopes to resolve this procedure soon, but for now, it has not communicated which brand its riders will use in 2027.

The crisis of Picnic PostNL goes far beyond bicycles

This setback comes at a particularly delicate moment for the Dutch team, which has been facing several months of uncertainty about its sporting and economic future.

Picnic PostNL received a WorldTour license limited exclusively to 2026, instead of an authorization for the entire 2026-2028 cycle. Its continuity in the next two seasons was conditioned on meeting certain financial guarantees.

At the beginning of October, information also emerged about a possible voluntary descent to the ProTeam category to reduce costs, although the team later denied that possibility and assured that it was still preparing for the upcoming season with the intention of maintaining its male and female structures in the WorldTour.

Recently, an investigation by NOS Sport and In De Waaier about an alleged culture of fear within the organization surfaced, with testimonies from riders and workers reporting various internal problems. The team has rejected recognizing itself in the overall image presented by the journalistic investigation and has commissioned an independent investigation.

In this context, the problems with Lapierre represent an additional difficulty, although the explanation provided by Picnic PostNL allows us to understand the specific reason why its file is still incomplete.

Jayco AlUla also explains its absence from the UCI list

The other major absentee from the first list of WorldTour teams, Jayco AlUla, has also clarified its situation.

The Australian team claims that its delay is due to a technical problem related to the international transfers necessary to establish the bank guarantee required by the UCI.

The situation coincides with the expected changes in ownership and sponsorship of the structure, after Gerry Ryan, its main financial backer for years, decided to reduce his participation starting in 2027.

From Jayco AlUla, they insist that it is an administrative difficulty that they hope to resolve soon and maintain their plans to compete in their sixteenth season in the WorldTour.

This is not the first time the Australian team has gone through a similar situation. During the registration process for 2026, it was also absent from the first UCI list due to administrative problems, although it ultimately managed to complete the documentation and obtain its license.

On December 8, the future of both teams will be known

The explanations from Picnic PostNL and Jayco AlUla clarify their respective absences, but do not change their situation before the UCI.

Both teams submitted their applications within the registration process and still have time to provide the pending documentation.

Meanwhile, the regulations stipulate that riders from teams that did not complete their files within the first deadline may terminate their contracts early, provided that the applicable conditions are met. This right disappears if the team manages to regularize its registration.

The UCI will publish the final list of WorldTour and ProTeam teams for 2027 on December 8.