“It feels like stacking names without real sporting logic" - Patrick Lefevere slams Lidl-Trek's transfer policy as they add big names to roster
Cycling
Patrick Lefevere has blasted Lidl-Trek's transfer policy ahead of the 2027 season, claiming that the German team have signed too many leaders as he questioned the logic and strategy behind the moves.
Under new CEO Andy Schleck, Lidl-Trek have confirmed deals for seven riders ahead of the new season, including Felix Gall, Igor Arrieta, Jordan Jegat and Jordi Meeus among the high profile riders joining the ranks.
With multiple leaders already in their ranks for 2027 such as Juan Ayuso, Mathias Skjelmose, Mads Pedersen, Jonathan Milan, Quinn Simmons and Derek Gee-West, the team have also seen some riders leave to free up space.
The team announced last week that they had agreed with Giulio Ciccone to part ways this winter, while Andrea Bagioli and Tim Tom Teutenburg leave. Bauke Mollema, Jacopo Mosca and Max Walscheid are retiring. Tao Geoghegan-Hart is also reportedly set to leave.
With the retirements and exits helping to clear space for the new arrivals, the team have been heavily linked with a surprise move for INEOS powerhouse Filippo Ganna.
Lidl-Trek at the Tour de France
Lefevere questions Lidl-Trek transfer policy
Former Quick-Step boss Patrick Lefevere is more than familiar with the transfer market and managing a team. However, the retired former manager has questioned the team's strategy.
“I wonder: what is the plan at Lidl-Trek? They make a habit of signing riders who are not really available on the market in principle,” Lefevere said in his Het Nieuwsblad column.
“Last year it was Juan Ayuso and Derek Gee-West. Now apparently Filippo Ganna. Maybe there is a master plan behind it, but I don’t see it.”
Questioning the sporting logic of the move to sign multiple high profile riders, the Belgian believes that signing helpers for leaders is often just as important.
“It feels like stacking names without real sporting logic"
“It feels like stacking names without real sporting logic. Building a team is a delicate balance. To win often you certainly need enough leaders, but at the same time enough helpers to do the dirty work.
“I am now reading that a number of domestiques at Lidl-Trek are being offered sums of up to half a million euros to terminate their contracts."
The core of Lefevere's issue is balance, arguing that too many leaders doesn't always translate too the results a big name can potentially offer. Noting the success of some of their arrivals in 2026, he wonders if the team's equilibrium is being tipped out of balance.
"At the same time, riders such as Jordi Meeus, Jordan Jegat, Felix Gall and Igor Arrieta are joining the team, and all of them have won races themselves this year. That balance isn’t right for me.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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