Although the badge of wonderkid among Lidl-Trek lineup belongs to Albert Withen Philipsen, there'll another massive prospect coming to WorldTour through their development structure in 2026. And that Jakob Söderqvist's future seems to be any less exciting is evident from the way he's already able to compete against seasoned professionals in mixed programme with main team.
"Stepping into the WorldTour team means the start of a new chapter in my sporting career and a chapter where the possibilities are endless," Söderqvist said in a press release. "All these things are pieces that I just dreamed of having before. I realised that I wanted to see how good I could become, so this chapter is about when I have these possibilities and try to make the most of them and see how far we can go."
"The confirmation that I would join the WorldTour team wasn’t sudden, but it was more a build-up since I was doing good results last year and felt like I got the kind of confirmation that it could be around the corner." In fact, many expected the Swede would make the step to cycling's premiere division already this year, but there simply wasn't a spot available for Söderqvist on Lidl-Trek's lineup for 2025.
Despite second places in time trial at both European and World Championships in the under-23 category, it was for the 21-year-old's own good to spend one extra year in the development team. While his numbers were already there, Söderqvist only made the transition from mountain bikes to road part-time in 2023 and full-time in 2024 with Lidl-Trek's then new Future programme.
"Taking this extra year with the development team has been a good choice. It’s really just dividing the step up into two pieces, getting more support towards the level where the WorldTour is, but without the expectation. I feel like with the two steps, there’s less risk and less things that could be hard for you to get your head around when you do make the step up."
Future star of (not only) cobbles
That Söderqvist's promotion was inevitable became clear from the get-go in 2025 when the Scandinavian immediately impressed in fourth stage of Volta Comunitat Valenciana when he blew up peloton on final uphill drag with only his sprinter Jonathan Milan narrowly able to hold the wheel.
That there is immense potential for the big Swede (189 cm & 85 kg) on Lidl-Trek's cobbles team, after the show he and teammate Albert Withen Philipsen put on during the U23 Paris-Roubaix past weekend, goes without saying
"Already this year, my development was beyond what I would expect and maybe this comes around again, maybe it’s only a small step more, but for sure I’m in a good position now and I feel like when opportunities come, I have the tools to take advantage of them."
The 21-year-old will officially join Lidl-Trek's main team on January 1, 2026 on a two-year deal. The expectations are high and only sky seems to be the limit. In two years from now, we might speak of Söderqvist as the new Mads Pedersen...
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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