Lidl-Trek confirm major overhaul as Luca Guercilena steps aside and key Visma, Red Bull figures jump ship

Luca Guercilena’s long spell at the head of Lidl-Trek will come to an end after the 2026 Tour de France, with the team confirming a sweeping restructure of its senior leadership and performance departments.

Guercilena has been one of the defining figures in the organisation since its earliest days, joining as a sports director for the 2011 Leopard Trek season before becoming General Manager in 2013. His departure from the leadership role brings down the curtain on a 16-year chapter that has covered several identities, from RadioShack-Leopard to Trek Factory Racing, Trek-Segafredo and finally Lidl-Trek.

Across that period, the team collected more than 350 professional victories, including Monument wins, World Championship titles, Grand Tour stage victories and classification jerseys. Lidl-Trek have presented the move as a handover after the Tour de France, with Guercilena set to remain fully active through July before the new structure takes effect.

“The desire for new challenges has always been the driving force of my professional life,” Guercilena said in the team’s official announcement. “After 16 unforgettable years, I feel the time is right to hand over leadership and allow the team to enter its next phase with fresh impulses and drive that will spark new hunger to keep pushing the limits.”

Guercilena added: “I turn the page knowing that I leave behind a strong organization made up of great professionals, a group of athletes capable of winning now and in the future, and a strong and determined ownership committed to taking cycling to another level. The team has given me incredible emotions thanks to athletes, staff, sponsors, and owners from whom I have always received great support, especially in difficult moments. Lidl-Trek will forever be the team closest to my heart.”

The most symbolic appointment is that of Andy Schleck, who will become CEO from August 1 in a newly created role. Schleck’s history with the team stretches back to its Leopard Trek origins, when he was one of the central riders in the project. He returned to Lidl-Trek in 2025 as Deputy General Manager and will now move into the top executive position as the team begins its next phase under Lidl’s backing.

“Having worked with Luca since my time as a rider at Leopard Trek, I experienced the passion, commitment and ambition he brought to this organization every single day,” said Schleck. “I’m incredibly grateful for the trust placed in me to lead this team of extraordinary people into its next chapter and continue building on the strong culture and winning mentality he established.”

The restructure also brings a major change to the sporting side of the team. Grischa Niermann will join from Team Visma | Lease a Bike as Chief Sporting Officer from September 1, taking responsibility for an integrated sporting department that brings together Racing, Performance, Operations and Technical/Equipment.

Niermann’s arrival adds one of the most experienced figures from Visma’s Grand Tour era to a Lidl-Trek project that is clearly being rebuilt around a broader high-performance structure.

“After having spent my whole life at the organization today known as Team Visma | Lease a Bike, I felt the time was right for a new challenge,” said Niermann. “Joining Lidl-Trek represents a special opportunity for me personally, as it allows me to shape one of the most ambitious projects in professional cycling, strongly connected to my home country.”

The management changes extend beyond the executive and sporting roles. Dan Lorang will join as Head of Performance from August 1 after his spell at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe.

Lorang will work directly under Niermann and oversee Coaching, Nutrition, Health, Recovery, Athletics and Data & AI. He will also lead the new Crivit Performance Center for the companies of Schwarz Group, tying Lidl-Trek’s sporting restructure to a wider performance project.

“This project has all the ingredients required for long-term success — talented athletes, ambitious leadership and an outstanding group of people working behind the scenes,” said Lorang. “I’m excited to contribute my experience and help further develop a high-performance environment that supports growth across all areas of the organization.”

Lidl-Trek have also confirmed further specialist appointments. Martijn Redegeld will become Head of Nutrition, arriving from Ajax Amsterdam after a previous five-year spell at Team Visma | Lease a Bike, while York-Peter Kloppel will take responsibility for the Mental department after working within the Red Bull athlete performance network.

For Guercilena, the announcement marks the formal end of one of the longest leadership spells in the WorldTour. For Lidl-Trek, it confirms the start of a new structure built around Schleck at executive level, Niermann in sporting control and Lorang at the centre of a reinforced performance operation.