Lidl-Trek has a bigger budget, stronger rosters and higher ambitions for 2024.
The reportedly 40% boost in budget, thanks to the arrival of the Lidl supermarket chain, has elevating the US-registered WorldTour team to the status of ‘super team’, allowing them to take on UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma in the men’s WorldTour and SD Worx in the women’s WorldTour.
Team manager Luca Guercilena is convinced that the arrival of Tao Geoghegan Hart, Jonathan Milan, Andrea Bagioli, Carlos Verona and others will strengthen the men’s team that already includes Mads Pedersen, Giulio Ciccone, Mattias Skjelmose and Quinn Simmons.
Britain’s Izzy Sharp, Canadian sisters Ava and Isabella Holmgren and Clara Copponi will join Elisa Balsamo, Lizzie Deignan, Elisa Longo Borghini, Amanda Spratt, Elynor Bäckstedt and Gaia Realini in the women’s line up.
The 48 riders of the men’s, women’s and new men’s development team, are in Calpe, Spain, along with a similar number of staff, for an important December training camp. It is the only time they will all be together before the start of the 2024 season and a new era for the team.
Guercilena is still undergoing treatment for lymphoma and so won’t be able to attend the training camp. However, he has overseen the transformation of the team in recent months and is excited to see how the team performs in the years to come.
He explains to Cyclingnews the team’s plans and ambitions for 2024.
Cyclingnews: This winter marks the start of a new phase for the team with Lidl as a key partner and several big-name riders signed for 2024. How important will the season be for the team? What are the goals for the team?
Luca Guercilena: 2024 will mark a new starting point for the team. The agreement with Lidl and the signing of a bunch of new riders, gives the team the opportunity to be more ambitious. The aim is to fight for the number one spot in the UCI team ranking. Of course to do that, we know we have to build a team that can win a certain quantity of races and a certain quality of races. That will take some time but it’s our plan and what drives us.
CN: UAE Team Emirates, Jumbo-Visma and Ineos Grenadiers are considered as the super teams of the men’s WorldTour. Should we now add Lidl-Trek to that list considering the team’s budget, rider roster and ambitions?
LG: I believe we’ve reached that level with our budget and the riders we have. Lidl-Trek is now a super team. Now the most important…
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