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'If this is what is felt, we need to listen' – Picnic PostNL's Kemna left 'deeply upset' as he responds to allegations of culture of fear at Dutch WorldTour team

Rudi Kemna, head coach of the Dutch WorldTour team Picnic PostNL, expressed deep distress in response to a damning investigative report by NOS Sport and *In De Waaier*, which detailed allegations of a toxic, fear-driven culture within the squad. The report, based on interviews with 71 current and former team members—including one former rider who called the environment a 'dictatorship'—left Kemna 'deeply upset,' as he acknowledged the team’s failure to recognize the emotional toll on its athletes.

Speaking at the Eneco Tour, he admitted to being 'devastated' by the portrayal of the team and himself, insisting that despite their efforts to prioritize safety and transparency, the accusations had left him 'astonished' and personally wounded. The investigation highlighted the case of Martijn Tusveld, a former Picnic PostNL rider who claimed his standing with the team deteriorated after he openly criticized its tactics during the 2020 Giro d’Italia.

Tusveld described a subsequent decline into silence, fear, and depression, even emailing Kemna last year to convey his inability to speak up—a claim Kemna disputed, noting Tusveld had previously expressed a desire to remain with the team. Former coach Adriaan Helmantel, who worked with Tom Dumoulin, also contributed to the report, describing how the team’s management became increasingly controlling in the aftermath of their 2017 Giro victory, further entrenching a culture of intimidation.

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