Team Picnic PostNL are thrilled to announce that long-standing team member, culture carrier and legend of the sport – John Degenkolb – has extended his contract for the 2027 season.
Degenkolb has spent an incredible 16 years as a professional cyclist so far, of which ten of those have been with Team Picnic PostNL. From the early years and successes with ten stage wins at the Vuelta a España, to a victory at the Giro d’Italia, to the memorable Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix double in 2015, to returning to the squad at the start of 2022; it truly has been a journey together for Degenkolb and the team. Now with a focus on a role as road captain, Degenkolb will continue to share his wealth of experience and knowledge with the next generation of talents that are coming through at Team Picnic PostNL.
Degenkolb reflected: “Even to this day, it’s still a big dream for me to be a professional cyclist. If you consider that I started cycling as a hobby as a kid and my passion for it grew from there. Now, I’m already into my 16th year as a pro which for me is like living my childhood dream. Extending that for another season into 2027 is something that brings me great personal joy; being able to continue that dream for a bit longer. Within the team, I’m really happy with my role as a road captain. Earlier in my career, when I was in a different role chasing those wins in the biggest races, I always relied on great road captains. That showed me how important it is for when you are young and ambitious to have experienced riders and people around you. I want to be able to play that part and role for our young, talented and ambitious riders in the team, and it makes me really happy to have that opportunity to do that for another season.”