Lidl-Trek confirms its commitment to youth development by launching a Germany-based junior team

Lidl-Trek keeps expanding its commitment to developing young riders with the launch of Lidl-Trek Junior Racing, a new project designed to identify and nurture talent from an early age and smooth the pathway to the professional ranks.

In recent seasons, cycling has undergone a clear shift: riders are reaching the top level at younger ages. In response, the American team has decided to strengthen its development structure. After having successfully launched the Lidl‑Trek Future Racing program in 2024, the squad now takes another step with a team specifically geared to the junior category.

The project will roll out in collaboration with the regional German team of the Baden‑Württemberg Federation. The goal is to offer young riders a high-performance program that blends sporting development with attention to personal wellbeing, supporting them through every phase of their growth.

With this initiative, Lidl-Trek completes a structure that spans all development stages: from youth categories, through under‑23, and up to the UCI WorldTour. The plan is to build a system capable of spotting promising talent early and giving them the tools to progress within the project.

In 2026, the team will comprise 13 riders, ten from the German federation and three internationals. It will also be supported by several sponsors who back the team’s WorldTour setup.

Among the 13 selected athletes, two names stand out. British time trialist Leon Atkins has already secured a contract with Lidl-Trek's under-23 team in his first junior year as a cyclist often compared to Joshua Tarling. The other is Austrian multi-discipline talent Michael Hettegger who finished 6th at the European cyclocross Championships last winter, 6th during the XCO World Cup round in Nove Mesto, and became Austrian road champion in what is widely regarded as a very talented (by Austrian standards) class of 2007.

The new team will debut at the Tour du Bocage et de l’Ernée 53, a UCI-sanctioned junior stage race in France. The race has an extensive roll of honor with many successful French professionals (Romain Grégoire, Benoit Cosnefroy, Alex Baudin, ...) taking their first steps in the Mayenne departement. Since the race's UCI promotion in 2023, Belgian talent Jarno Widar, or American prospect Ashlin Barry have claimed a victory on the French roads.

Over the season, they will also target other key events such as the Côte d’Or Classic Juniors, the Trofeo Saarland Junior, and the Keizer der Juniores.

The team’s head of development and recruitment, Josu Larrazabal, underlined the project’s strategic importance within the squad’s wider pathway:

"The creation of Lidl-Trek Junior Racing gives us a structure in our talent-identification pipeline that we didn’t have before, allowing us to spot riders earlier and offer young cyclists a clear, supported route towards the development team."

Larrazabal also explained that registering the team as a club will make it compatible with national-team programs. "By being registered as a Club Team, it doesn’t conflict with races in which national federations take part, which means we can design the best possible racing program for each rider."

He also believes the project will improve the transition between categories. "It also represents a significant step forward in managing the transition from junior to under‑23. As we’ve seen with the progression of our U23 riders to the WorldTour, getting to know athletes in race situations, in their daily training, and how they handle life off the bike is invaluable.

"This program enhances our ability to find and develop the best junior talent, and I’m genuinely excited about what this means for the future of this team."

The team has already finalized its roster for the 2026 season, and the selection process for 2027 will be announced soon.