Canadian sisters Ava and Isabella Holmgren and British talent Isabel “Izzy” Sharp signed multi-year deals to make Lidl-Trek their new home next season. All three are just 18 years old and carry successful multi-disciplinary resumes from the junior ranks to their debuts on the Women’s WorldTour.
Lidl-Trek confirmed a three-year contract with Sharp to take her through 2026, while the Holmgren duo will be part of the team for the next two years. Their development will be guided by women’s team director Ina Teutenberg, as well as Markel Irizar, talent scout for LIdl-Trek and a part-time DS for the women’s team.
“Izzy Sharp had already been on our radar due to her good results in the Nations Cups,” said Josu Larrazabal, Lidl-Trek’s head of performance, who added that Ellen van Dijk went to see Sharp perform at some races and had positive feedback.
“Isabella and Ava Holmgren came to us through our colleagues at the Trek Race Shop, from the MTB and CX scene. We got in contact with Isabella and Ava and they were both interested to developing more on the road side.”
The Holmgren twins are not identical, but have duplicated career paths as teenagers across cyclocross, mountain bike and road disciplines, performing for the Stimulus/Orbea programme as well as etching their names in the history books for Team Canada.
In February at the Cyclocross World Championships in Hoogerheide, Isabella won the gold medal in the junior women’s race while Ava took the silver, giving Canada the first-ever World titles in the discipline at any level.
Then in August, at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Glasgow, Isabella earned her second rainbow jersey in the junior women’s XCO event. She was also eighth in the junior women’s road race. Meanwhile, Ava holds the elite national and junior Pan-Am titles in cyclocross.
“Being a part of a WorldTour Team was a long-term goal of mine, so to have been approached with this amazing opportunity coming out of the junior category was slightly shocking, but very exciting,” said Isabella Holmgren.
Her sister Ava echoed the enthusiasm, noting that it was a privilege to compete at the WorldTour level as a first-year U23 rider. She also was excited to start a new chapter in her sports career alongside her sibling.
“I’ve had my eyes on this Team for many years even though I am only 18 years old. Whether it was cheering on a home favourite mountain bike rider, racing the Cyclocross World Cup at the Trek…
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