Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Friday, December 13, 2024
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2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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Upcoming racing:
- December 15: Namur Cyclocross-Citadelcross
Latest completed racing:
- November 17: Flandriencross
- November 3: European Cyclocross Championships
- November 1: X20 Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- October 27: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaamse Druivencross
- October 15 - 20: Tour of Guangxi
- October 20: Japan Cup Road Race
- October 20: Veneto Classic
- October 16: Giro del Veneto
- October 13: Chrono des Nations
Here’s the team’s news:
Rosti becomes the new clothing supplier to the Arkea B&B Hotels team for the 2025 season. With an ‘Excalibur’ jersey reinvented to celebrate this new partnership, the team is reaffirming its Breton identity more than ever.
The 2025 jersey
Marco Saggia, Rosti's General Manager:
"We’re very proud of this cooperation and partnership which confirm the continuity of Rosti in the world tour level for the next season.We found in the team Arkea B&B Hotels important values and truly opportunity to grow up together.For Rosti is an important confirmation of the strong work done to develop the high performance products suitable for the high level of the races. A lot of work needs to be done to continue to perform up, but with the help of the Arkea B&B Hotels riders and staff we’re in a great shape for new successes."
Emmanuel Hubert, Team General Manager:
In 2025, the three Arkea B&B Hotels UCI World Tour, Women's and Development teams will benefit from the expertise of our new partner Rosti, an Italian brand that has been part of the UCI World Tour peloton for many years. The 2025 Arkea B&B Hotels jersey has been partly redesigned for the occasion. However, it retains its initial identity, with its ‘Excalibur’ motifs, a strong symbol of our Breton identity, which is also that of our two title partners, Arkea and B&B Hotels. ‘The Arkea B&B Hotels ‘red and black’ jersey will earn its nickname even more with the addition of black sleeves to the 2025 jersey, highlighted by four white stripes, once again a reminder of the original colours of Brittany.
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Here’s the team’s post:
Behind every strong rider stands an equally strong team. In our series 'Staff Stories,' we introduce you to the people who ensure that Lotto Dstny runs like a well-oiled machine every day. Today: Lynn Segers, logistics coordinator.
From hospitality to cycling: for 20 years, Lynn worked in the hotel industry before making the leap to the cycling world last year. Starting out as a waiter in her early career, she eventually rose to become a hotel manager. It was during these years that Lynn discovered her passion for working with people, solving problems that came her way, and creating the best possible experience for her guests. Throughout her hotel career, Lynn welcomed guests from all walks of life: artists, business professionals, and athletes.
Lynn Segers
"And that’s where my connection to the cycling world began," Lynn explains. "Managing logistics for cycling teams staying at the hotel where I worked was a unique challenge. It taught me how to balance the fast pace of event schedules with the personal care each guest needed."
Over 15 years, Lynn’s involvement with cycling teams grew into a true passion. "I came to understand their routines and habits, their needs, but also the unique friendships and camaraderie that define the cycling world. So when I was offered the opportunity to leave the hotel industry and join Lotto Dstny last year, I saw it as a chance to take my hospitality skills in a completely new direction."
Today, Lynn Segers is one of the logistical powerhouses behind the team, working closely with her colleagues. "I’m constantly learning from them, and I’m incredibly grateful for that. Together, we make sure everything runs smoothly, so the team can focus entirely on what they do best: training and racing."
Lynn and her colleagues coordinate the hundreds of team movements that happen each season. She helps arrange flights and hotels, ensures licenses are in order, keeps passport information organized, and makes sure visas are applied for on time. "I try to ensure that everyone feels as much at home as possible, no matter where in the world they are. The mindset I developed in the hotel industry is something I strive to maintain here as well. For me, it’s not just about logistics—it’s about creating an environment and a workplace where people feel supported and valued. It’s the small details that make all the difference."
"The best part of my job at Lotto Dstny is the connection with people," Lynn says. "Over the years, I’ve learned to solve problems creatively while always putting people first. That’s essential in a cycling team, where no two days are the same," she laughs. "I’m incredibly happy to be a part of this new world and to play my part in a team like Lotto Dstny, where everyone works together toward a shared goal."
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The team sent me this announcement
Online supermarket Picnic will become the first title partner of the cycling team, Team Picnic PostNL. With this partnership, Picnic will support a sports team for the first time in its history. Team Picnic PostNL competes at the highest level of international cycling in the UCI WorldTour. Through this partnership, Picnic is also expanding its brand recognition beyond the Netherlands.
The Dutch based and internationally present cycling team, Team Picnic PostNL, operates with three programs under one umbrella – Men, Women and Development. All programs use the same Keep Challenging approach whilst wearing the same distinctive two-striped kit, which in 2025 will proudly display the colours of both Picnic and PostNL in competition across the world. The new title partnership with Picnic will continue for at least four years, until and including 2028.
The 2025 jersey.
The online supermarket is attracting a growing number of customers in the Netherlands, France, and Germany. Michiel Muller, co-founder of Picnic, is excited about the new partnership that allows the online supermarket to reach French, German, and Dutch consumers as well as increase its brand awareness: “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. This partnership demonstrates how innovation and teamwork drive success, whether you’re a professional cyclist or part of our team that packs and delivers groceries every day. Together, we aim for the best results every day and look forward to the moments we will experience together.”
Team Picnic PostNL CEO Iwan Spekenbrink: “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 organisations 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. 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. 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.”
PostNL CFO, Pim Berendsen: “Cycling is a strong symbol of innovation, collaboration and progress – values that PostNL, Picnic and the team share together. At PostNL, we not only utilise the bike to deliver millions of letters and parcels sustainably, but we also see it as an inspiration for our shared commitment to innovation. With this partnership, we support a team that is uniquely developing talent, where women and men work together to achieve top performances. It is this shared ambition – to push boundaries and achieve successes as one team – that inspires and motivates us. Together, we are building a future full of movement, innovation and impact. We look forward to continuing this partnership with Picnic as a joint title partner.”
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dsm-firmenich CEO Dimitri de Vreeze: “Today’s arrival of Picnic as new title partner marks a great milestone for the team. As a longtime partner, dating back from 2015, the focus has been on accelerating the innovations around nutrition and health to optimise 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.”
About Picnic
Picnic is an innovative online supermarket that provides customers with fresh produce and daily groceries, delivered to their front door. Before its launch in 2015, Picnic worked quietly for three years with a team of 30 specialists to deliver groceries at home without unnecessary middlemen. Customers choose which ride is most convenient and, via Picnic’s grocery radar, know up to the minute exactly what time delivery will take place. The costs of this new way of distribution are so low that delivery is free of charge and the groceries can be delivered at any time. In 2018, Picnic expanded to Germany, followed by France in 2021. Picnic is the co-founded by entrepreneurs Joris Beckers, Frederik Nieuwenhuys, Michiel Muller and Daniel Gebler.
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