The Team Picnic PostNL is set to lose two of its most prestigious riders for its Tour de France campaign: both John Degenkolb and Fabio Jakobsen are forced to withdraw due to their current health conditions.

John Degenkolb's Northern campaign ended with a very serious accident at the Tour of Flanders where he fractured his collarbone, elbow, and wrist. The severity of the injuries became more evident with further investigations, and Degenkolb underwent a successful surgery, but his recovery period inevitably became longer than initially anticipated.

Jakobsen, on the other hand, was diagnosed with a limited flow in the iliac artery of both legs and underwent surgery in early April. Since then, he has continued his recovery process positively, starting with indoor training and recently returning to some steady, though not intensive, outdoor rides.

For both riders, the Tour de France comes too early in their rehabilitation process.