In a surprise move on Friday, Dutch sprinter Charlotte Kool made a mid-season transfer from Picnic-PostNL to Fenix Deceuninck, an arrangement worked out between both teams and announced "with immediate effect".
Both teams confirmed the transfer with afternoon statements, Fenix-Deceuninck stating that the contract took effect on August 15 and will run through the end of 2028. The news comes three weeks after Kool withdrew from the Tour de France Femmes, not continuing after the opening stage as she was struggling with lingering effects from a hard crash at the Baloise Ladies Tour on July 20.
"The interest of my new team presented an appealing challenge that I am eager to take on. I am and was very happy with Team Picnic PostNL and there was no reason to leave," Kool said in the Picnic-PostNL team statement. "I look forward to taking on a new challenge with my next team, which was made possible by the cooperation of Team Picnic PostNL."
Fenix-Deceuninck was one of 11 teams currently competing at the Tour de Romandie Féminin, which began today with GC rider Yara Kastelijn the top team finisher in the prologue in fourth. Five teams, including Picnic PostNL, were not allowed to take the start in the three-day race due to their refusals to take part in the UCI’s GPS tracking test.
It was not confirmed in which upcoming event Kool would make her debut in the new team colours, though she would be expected to line up at Simac Ladies Tour in early September, where she has had three stage wins.
Kool will have immediate effects with her speed in bunch finishes, as her new team has only five road victories this season, two of those British road and ITT championship wins by Millie Couzens.
"Charlotte’s arrival is undoubtedly a boost for Fenix-Deceuninck. With all-rounder Puck Pieterse and our climbing strength already in place, we are confident that her sprinting talent will allow us to compete for victories across an even broader range of races," stated management of her new team.
Both teams noted that discussions of a transfer had been cooperative, though it was not clear when those exchanges began.
"After Charlotte heard about potential interest, her representatives and both teams engaged in constructive discussions, leading to a solution that works well for everyone. Team Picnic PostNL thanks Charlotte for her dedication and achievements and wishes her every success with her new team," her former team said in a statement on Friday.
Kool moved to the WorldTour in 2022 from two seasons at the Continental level and supported compatriot Lorena Wiebes at Team DSM, later rebranded to Picnic PostNL. The next season Wiebes moved to SD Worx and Kool was free to go for victories, amassing 13 in 2023.
In 2024 Kool won back-to-back stages at the Tour de France Femmes, including the stage 2 sprint on home soil ahead of Wiebes. Kool has been most prolific at the Baloise Ladies Tour, winning seven stages across four seasons, six of those wins with Picnic-PostNL.
"I am ready for a new chapter in my career. Of course, making a move halfway the season comes with its challenges, but it feels right," Kool said as the newest member of Fenix-Deceuninck.
"From the very first conversation with the team I had an immediate and genuinely good feeling about their mentality, and the trust they placed in me. I've been welcomed with open arms and I can't wait to race in my new colors. This new environment gives me a lot of extra motivation."
Cyclingnews will cover all of the 2026 cycling transfers from around the men's and women's pelotons with news, analysis, and an updated transfer index, to make sure you don't miss a thing this transfer season.
