"Last night, it was 11 o'clock and they were not in the bed" - Lidl-Trek partying their way through successful 2025 Giro d'Italia says DS
Cycling
The Lidl-Trek team have been unmatched in their success at the 2025 Giro d'Italia, winning five of the first thirteen stages at the ongoing edition of the Italian Grand Tour. Understandably, because of this, morale within the team is at an all-time high, according to sports director Maxime Monfort.
With Dutch powerhouse Daan Hoole winning a time trial and team leader Mads Pedersen taking a fantastic fourth stage win on Friday on stage 13, the celebrations were long and joyous post-stage, says Monfort with a beaming smile. "Of course, the guys are really strong and they've prepared for this Giro really well. But on top of everything is the team atmosphere. They have created a really nice group, the riders together, also with the staff," says the DS in conversation with TNT Sports at the start line of stage 14 this Saturday.
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They key factor according to Monfort is that camaraderie within the riders and the feel good factor that all the success in the race has brought to the team. "They have so much fun off of the bike, in the bus or at dinner or at breakfast, they always have fun," he explains. "I've seen many teams where the riders are a bit one by one. And here, they leave the team after the staff. It was again, last night, it was 11 o'clock, and they were not in the bed. They were just having fun at the table before going to bed. I think it's a big part of the success."
Whether or not this recipe for success can continue for the remainder of the 2025 Giro d'Italia remains to be seen but one thing for sure, is that regardless of what happens for the rest of this Grand Tour, Lidl-Trek will have had an incredibly successful opening Grand Tour of the season.
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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