Lidl-Trek unveil 2027 development squad headlined by rider who rivalled Van der Poel in Luxembourg
Cycling
Lidl-Trek Future Racing will field a 16-rider squad in 2027, bringing together young cyclists from 11 different countries as the team continues its role as a development structure for the WorldTour outfit. The roster includes several riders moving up from junior racing, alongside returning members and new recruits expected to gain experience across a varied international calendar.
The U23 team will be managed by former rider Markel Irizar. He explained that the development process involves more than evaluating results and physical performance data. Understanding a rider's personality and approach to racing is also important when assessing their potential future role within the organization.
“The philosophy of the Development team is to develop the next generation of talent, with the hope that they can move up and meet the needs of the WorldTour team,” Irizar said.
“Knowing them and their personalities in advance helps a lot and is super important, both performance-wise and personally. Being with them from a young age helps us make the best decisions to meet the needs of the WorldTour team, not only this year but in the coming years.”
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Climbers and Classics prospects headline the roster
Eike Behrens highlights the new intake after a standout 2026 season where he proved his WorldTour potential on stage 1 of the Tour of Luxembourg, finishing as the only rider capable of matching Mathieu van der Poel's explosive attack.
Austrian Michael Hettegger arrives after achieving notable results in junior competition. His previous performances include silver medals in the time trial at the World Championships and in mountain biking at the European Championships.
He will be joined in the general classification group by Jack Ward and Harry Hudson, while Hugh Óg Mulhearne and Andrea Bessega are expected to contribute in climbing terrain.
The team also has several riders suited to one-day races. Seb Grindley, Thor Michielsen and Mats Vanden Eynde form part of the Classics group, alongside Eñaut Urkaregi and Gabriele Scagliola, who offer additional options for races requiring speed and the ability to handle demanding finales.
Leon Atkins arrives from the junior ranks with potential in time trials. The remaining places are filled by Benedikt Benz, Patrick Frydkjær, Luan Elsäßer, Eike Behrens and Rodrigo Jesús, giving the team a range of options.
Irizar said that the selection process combines performance data and race results. “Normally we select the riders knowing their power data and results, using a combination of both,” he explained. “I try to go to races and see them racing, how they position and how they are tactically, as well as their personality and how they would fit in the group.”
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A calendar built around major U23 races
The 2027 program will provide opportunities for the riders to test themselves in several of the most important events on the under-23 calendar. Paris-Roubaix Espoirs and Gent-Wevelgem U23 will be among the principal targets for those suited to the Classics, while Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23 and other Ardennes races will offer opportunities for the climbers.
Stage racing will also play an important role. The Giro Next Gen is expected to be a major objective, with the Tour de l'Avenir providing another important test for riders aiming to progress towards the professional ranks. The European Championships in Denmark, the World Championships and Paris-Tours are also included among the team's targets.
For Irizar, these races are part of a broader development process. “We are a kind of school and the goal is to try and accelerate the learning process and make them learn everything before they go to WorldTour,” he said.
“One of the main goals is to develop as many riders as possible to go to the WorldTour,” Irizar concluded. “We would like to give the chance to as many of them as possible, whether that is in this team or not. We have done well at this historically right from our first generation, and we want to keep working in this way.”
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
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- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
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