Johan Bruyneel expressed strong criticism of Team Picnic PostNL's transfer policy in his podcast The Move, particularly targeting Iwan Spekenbrink. The former team director does not understand how the team justifies all outgoing transfers to the sponsors.
The reason Bruyneel discusses Picnic PostNL in the podcast is the rumor that INEOS Grenadiers is trying to lure Oscar Onley away from the Dutch team. The Belgian considers it a good move for the British outfit. "INEOS needs a top British rider and Onley is the only feasible option," he says. "The Yates brothers aren't going anywhere, and Adam has already ridden there. Will he perform at the same level at INEOS as at Picnic PostNL? I would say yes, because he’s a good rider. He’s not a potential Grand Tour winner, but he is a podium contender. And there aren’t many of those on the market."
Bruyneel then turns his attention to the 'shrewd businessman' Spekenbrink. "He is the Wheeler Dealer of cycling. There are plenty of riders from his team who left while still under contract. Tom Dumoulin, Marc Hirschi, Marcel Kittel... He nets a lot of money from transfers of contracted riders to finance the team, or maybe he pockets it himself, I don’t know."
"I struggle to understand it. You have these stars on your team, and you bring in great sponsors like DSM, Firmenich, and more. Then I don’t know how he can justify those transfers to his financiers. Maybe he makes a deal with sponsors that they pay less. But your team becomes weaker and weaker. And it’s one of the weakest, if not the weakest, in the WorldTour," he concludes.
