CONFIRMED: Thibau Nys set to headline Lidl-Trek’s Giro d'Italia plans as Belgian makes 2026 debut

Lidl-Trek have confirmed that Thibau Nys will make his Giro d’Italia debut in 2026, with the Belgian emerging as a central part of the team’s plans for the Italian Grand Tour. Jonathan Milan and Giulio Ciccone are also expected to line up, giving Lidl-Trek a balanced Giro line-up built around stage wins, sprint success and selective GC ambition.

The confirmation came during the team’s media day and was first reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, following what was a decisive road season for Nys in 2025.

Nys’ profile points naturally towards the Giro. His strengths lie in short climbs, aggressive racing and selective finales, rather than long, high-mountain GC efforts.

That was reflected throughout 2025, where he took a standout win at the Gran Premio Miguel Indurain and consistently held his own in hilly WorldTour races. His Tour de France debut later in the season was framed as a learning exercise, giving him experience of three-week racing without results pressure.

The Giro offers something different. It is a race that rewards opportunism, and Lidl-Trek are expected to give Nys the freedom to operate as a stage-hunter, rather than tying him to a single fixed team role.

The presence of Jonathan Milan underlines clear sprint objectives. The Italian remains one of the most reliable finishers in the peloton, and the Giro is a natural focal point for his season.

Giulio Ciccone provides Lidl-Trek with a GC and climbing reference, particularly on home roads where he has historically delivered some of his strongest performances.

Within that structure, Nys adds flexibility. He is not being positioned as a pure domestique, but as a rider capable of animating stages that sit outside the traditional sprint and GC scripts.

A Giro debut in 2026 marks a logical progression for Nys and reflects Lidl-Trek’s growing confidence in his road trajectory. Rather than bringing him to a Grand Tour purely for experience, the team appear ready to race with him, not just around him.

For Lidl-Trek, the combination of Milan, Ciccone and Nys points to a Giro campaign built on multiple avenues for success, with attacking ambition firmly at its core.