Breaking! Grischa Niermann steps down as Visma sports director and joins Lidl-Trek

The Jonas Vingegaard story is past for Team Visma | Lease a Bike already with the arrival of breaking news that the Dutch team's Head of Racing Grischa Niermann is leaving the structure with immediate effect. Not only that, the German tactician is set to join Lidl-Trek as the team’s general manager, WielerFlits reports.

In addition, Lidl-Trek's general manager Luca Guercilena appears to be on his way out with his Deputee, Andy Schleck, expected to take over the role of Lidl-Trek's CEO.

Niermann rose through the ranks of Visma under the guidance of Merijn Zeeman, whom he had replaced in the role of Visma's racing dirigent following Zeeman's departure for football adventure. His departure comes barely a year and a half after he took on a key role in the Dutch team’s internal setup.

During his spell within the structure, the team locked in some of its biggest recent successes, including Grand Tour wins such as the Giro d’Italia (twice, the latest just 24 hours ago), the Vuelta a España, and monuments like Paris-Roubaix.

Marc Reef is expected to take over Niermann's role within Visma's structure, promoting from a role of sports director.

Reef already had broad experience before joining the Dutch outfit in 2022, following his stint with Iwan Spekenbrink’s team, where he worked with top-tier riders and contributed to multiple international wins.

At Visma, he has played a significant role in the sporting direction in recent years, including involvement in planning Grand Tour victories and presence at major targets such as the Tour de France.

Niermann brings a long track record in pro cycling and team management. After his racing career, he spent several years with the Rabobank development team before stepping up to the WorldTour in 2017, when the structure competed as LottoNL-Jumbo.

From there, he climbed the ranks to become essential in race preparation and planning, noted for a meticulous approach and exacting attention to detail.

With Niermann’s departure, Visma | Lease a Bike has gone for an internal solution. Marc Reef moves up the hierarchy to become the team’s new director of cycling.

Niermann’s signing fits Lidl-Trek’s new growth phase, especially after Lidl became majority shareholder in 2025. Since then, the structure has begun a deep transformation both in sporting and organisational terms.

The team’s stated goal is clear: to become one of the peloton’s powerhouses. With Niermann’s arrival, the squad adds hard-earned Grand Tour expertise and strengthens its bid to make a qualitative leap in the coming seasons.