Lidl-Trek director on the signing of multiple junior talents: "I think it's just nice to try to work and bring up the talents yourself"

Lidl-Trek had a clear transfer policy ahead of the 2024 season: invest in the future. The US-based Women's WorldTour outfit signed no fewer than five young talents straight from the junior ranks.

Ina-Yoko Teutenberg’s team acquired the services of 2023 junior time trial World Champion Felicity Wilson-Haffenden of Australia, multi-discipline Canadian twins Ava and Isabella Holmgren, Gent-Wevelgem-winning Brit Issy Sharp and junior road European Champion Fleur Moors of Belgium.

"I think it's just nice to try to work and bring up the talents from within, not just buying good talents," the team’s director Ina Yoko Teutenberg told Cyclingnews. "We thought it's a better idea to actually embed it and then have some older riders go with the young ones to teach them more."

"We can't really expect huge results for them because it's a big step," Teutenberg stays on the ground. "Time will tell, I think they have some talents and they'll show what they can do, but this is a whole different ball game so we'll see what they evolve into."

"The young ones won't be doing a lot of the big races, but there will always be an older one doing some of the smaller races," Teutenberg said. "It’s just normal as a more experienced rider, you give your experience and the young ones have to look, listen and learn."

The young signings come off the back of what Teutenberg describes as a difficult season for Lidl-Trek women, despite finishing second in the UCI team standings. "We go in there positive that everybody stays healthy, everybody does their stuff in the winter and then we're going to have a good season coming from that."