Lidl-Trek veteran calls time on decade-long career – Max Walscheid retires despite having a contract for next season
CyclingFriday, 25 September 2026 at 16:29
Lidl-Trek rider Max Walscheid has confirmed his retirement from professional cycling after a career of over ten years. Despite having a contract for 2027, the rider will join the team's sporting structure.
The German rider bids farewell to professional cycling on October 3rd in the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro, a race he won once before in 2018. He'll then transition into his new role at the CRIVIT Performance Center, the sports brand of team sponsor Lidl.
The 33-year-old has been combining his career as a cyclist with medical studies for several years and will contribute to the Health & Performance Team there.
“Max will use his experience in elite sport and medicine to help the team move forward,” Lidl-Trek said. “There he can put the knowledge he has gained into practice and utilize his academic background.”
Walscheid's decade-long career included 14 wins
Taking 14 wins during his career, he impressively tasted victory at the ZLM Tour earlier this month. However, he admitted that saying goodbye to the sport that shaped him will be a difficult transition.
“I believe that cycling has shaped me, and I will never let go of this part of myself,” Walscheid said.
“Working in a top-level sports environment with opportunities to test and optimize is something I find incredibly interesting. Saying goodbye to something you are so passionate about is never easy. It hurts, but this is the perfect moment to say goodbye.”
Lidl-Trek cycling team
Walscheid will continue his medical training while transitioning into the role and admitted his gratitude to the team.
"I am extremely grateful to Lidl-Trek for allowing me to continue working with the team in our performance department. While I complete my medical training, I will soon be working behind the scenes, and I am really looking forward to it."
Combining racing knowledge and medical experience
CEO Andy Schleck hopes his racing experience and medical background can make the perfect combination for the role: “What makes him suitable for this new role is the combination of his racing experience and medical background. He knows what a rider goes through, and his medical training gives him the tools to understand why. We are happy that we can retain that perspective within the team.”
Read also
The departure means that the team currently has 29 riders confirmed for 2027 already, with reports indicating that the team was already over their maximum of 30 riders for the season.
UCI regulations stipulate that a WorldTour team can have a maximum of thirty riders under contract, provided that two neo-pros are among them.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- If the three races thathave taken place already give any insight, it is that the circuit does nit reward the climbers as well as the metres suggest. 97.3 m of climbing per lap is from the three short climbs on which no-one can really be out into major difficulties. That amounts to 1264 m of climbing. The remainder of around 2313 m isn't as hard as it sounds
Rafionain-Glas25-09-2026 - Looking forward to a great weekend of racing. Haven’t been following much lately but for all the talk there was of interest from other teams in Seixas, it seems awfully quiet. Did I miss something or was it all media buzz making attempts?Mistermaumau25-09-2026
- Always nice when someone making the effort wins. CongratulationsMistermaumau25-09-2026
- I think it looks far faster than it actually was, judging by the bike behind he may have been close to 100km/h but it was a dead straight wide stretch. I’ve seen whole convoys of cars passing at such speeds near downhills when the peloton is at full speed and they still have problems not being in riders’ ways. The speed of the caravan at the Tour sometimes when it passes just inches from spectators is far scarier. For me there are just too many vehicles in races.Mistermaumau25-09-2026
- I think the issue with van der Poel, Van Aert, Evenepoel, and Simmons may just be the weight. Some of them are likely too heavy for this amount of climbing - yes, Van Aert has won some major climbs, but that's in a GT setting with more than one race going on at a time and major climbers part of the GC race behind him. None of them has won in Montreal or Il Lombardia. Simmons was great at Il Lombardia not too long ago, but ran out of energy. They all have the goods to win, as do several others. It's just that del Toro and Seixas were the ones who got away 2 weeks ago, they climb, and del Toro sprints. I make no predications, I'm just really excited for what I hope is a great race!RidesHills25-09-2026
- The U23 race was a big warning for the elite race. It's different to Montreal where UAE can control. It is hard to read, and the riders in front has a big advantage simply by being in front. A repeat, with van der Poel, van Aert or God forbid Quinn Simmons, would not be surprising.Rafionain-Glas25-09-2026
- If I remember correctly he was angry at Madous for not giving enough, and so he dropped him but he'd have done that anywayRafionain-Glas25-09-2026
- Christian van de Velde described Ashlin Barry, who he knows very well, as like a U23 Wout van Aert, who does track instead of CX. 19.2 dm tall and 770 hg, he is quite similar to Wally, and this was less the favourites having got it wrong but more him having got it right. Chapeau!Rafionain-Glas25-09-2026
- What a clear win, well executed attacks, and enough endurance to make it to the end. Alvarez was angry at the end, winning the sprint for second, but not having timed his attacks well enough along the way. Congratulations, Ashlin Barry!RidesHills25-09-2026
- this is crazy driving. this is how cyclists diemij25-09-2026
Loading
Write a comment