The Lidl-Trek males’s squad confirmed their standing as probably the greatest groups in 2024 however supervisor Luca Guercilena is pushing his riders to do even higher in 2025 as he begins to construct the roster for 2026 and past, with the objective to compete for total success within the Grand Tours.
Lidl-Trek completed fourth within the 2024 UCI crew rankings, behind UAE Team Emirates, Visma-Lease a Bike and Soudal-QuickStep. Guercilena expects his riders to do even higher in 2025.
“I at all times push my riders to do nicely. That’s my job, proper?” Guercilena instructed Cyclingnews in an unique interview.
Lidl-Trek received 42 races in 2024 because of the sprinting energy of Jonathan Milan, Classics abilities of Mads Pedersen, the stage race tenacity of Mattias Skjelmose and the younger, versatile expertise of Thibau Nys.
Lidl joined the crew mid-2023 and their vital funding allowed Guercilena to spend money on the boys’s crew, the world-class ladies’s crew and a profitable males’s improvement crew. The Lidl-Trek riders and employees now complete over 180, with Guercilena hiring former rider and up to date UCI Head of Innovation Michael Rogers to assist him handle the groups.
“We had been a great crew earlier than Lidl got here on board however our price range was restricted. We have to strengthen the crew and enhance and we did that in 2023 and 2024. Now, we’ve got to step up much more. We’ve received to indicate how good we actually are,” stated Guercilena, who has fought a protracted battle in opposition to a life-threatening lymphoma however a latest check-up has given the boldness to begin the 2025 season with ambition and enthusiasm.
Last week Pedersen revealed he’ll goal the Classics after which the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España, with Jonathan Milan given the essential sprinters position on the Tour de France, most likely with Simone Consonni as his key lead-out man.
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Skjelmose is anticipated to fly the GC flag for Lidl-Trek on the Tour after his fifth place on the Vuelta. Giulio Ciccone is anticipated to focus on phases and the GC on the Giro d’Italia. Tao Geoghegan Hart will look to reboot his profession earlier than setting any main targets however is prone to trip a Grand Tour.
Nys is quickly rising right into a Ardennes Classics position alongside Andrea Bagioli and Skjelmose, whereas Toms Skujiņš, Quinn Simons, Jasper Styuven and Ryan Gibbons kind a robust cobbled Classics core.
“We’re an actual crew, our success would not rely upon only one large rider. We confirmed that by profitable 42 races with a number of totally different riders,” Guercilena stated.
“We wish to be aggressive within the Classics in 2025. Virtually all of the Classics crew was concerned within the high-speed Dwars door Vlaanderen crash, so we weren’t at our greatest on the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. We hope to be more healthy and do higher this yr and win.
“We’ve received to be within the motion within the Tour and attempt to steadiness profitable phases and the factors jerseys with a great GC. We know we do not have a crew chief like Tadej Pogačar however we’re satisfied that our riders can do nicely.
“We’ve additionally received Sklemose, who may have much more assist this yr on the Tour after his spectacular Vuelta and had been 100% satisfied that Tao might be again to his greatest and so have the shape he had when he received the 2020 Giro d’Italia. We’ve additionally received stage race riders like Ciccone, Juan Pedro Lopez and new signing Lennard Kämna who’s recovering from his horrible coaching accident. We’re a crew of many skills.”
Signing a Grand Tour chief to develop into a real ‘tremendous crew’
If Lidl-Trek is to be thought-about a real ‘tremendous crew’, Guercilena is aware of they need to combat for the rostrum in Grand Tours and particularly on the Tour de France within the years to come back. Supermarket chain Lidl expects vital visibility throughout Europe for its funding and success on the Tour is one of the simplest ways to fulfill them.
In 2025, Pedersen will lead the robust Classics squad and Milan will goal the sprints, the primary yellow jersey In Lille and the factors jersey on the Tour de France. But Guercilena is rigorously monitoring the Grand Tour rider market. He is aware of that Remco Evenepoel’s contract ends after the 2026 season, and maybe is aware of the contract standing of Juan Ayuso and a dozen different attainable targets.
“There are two methods to have a Grand Tour chief – you may develop them in-house, which takes time and wishes a scouting programme and a improvement crew, otherwise you purchase them,” Guercilena stated, admitting Lidl-Trek are each choices.
“It’s not straightforward to compete with the large groups and riders like Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel however that is what we wish to do.
“We are likely to look extra lengthy to medium time period and develop our riders in-house. If any person involves the market, we’ll have a look at them rigorously.”
Lidl-Trek signed simply 4 new riders for 2025 – Kämna, Søren Kragh Andersen, promising sprinter Tim Torn Teutenberg and 18-year-old super-talent Jasper Philipsen. They have t10 riders out of contract later this yr.
“We suppose our stability is an indication of our energy, so we do not change our roster an excessive amount of annually. Of course, there’s the age issue, rider ambitions and the necessity for outcomes,” Guercilena defined.
“Pro biking by no means sleeps, no one waits for the Tour de France anymore, the rider market and talks go on all yr, even earlier than the ultimate 12 months of a rider’s contract. We’re already energetic and finding out the riders and offers that may very well be accessible for 2026 and slot in our undertaking.”