Lidl-Trek welcomes former Tour de France champion to backroom staff as 2010 Maillot Jaune appointed Deputy General Manager

Lidl-Trek have strengthened their senior management structure with the appointment of former Tour de France winner Andy Schleck as Deputy General Manager, bringing one of the most recognisable figures of his generation back into the heart of the WorldTour.

The 2010 Tour de France champion returns to the team where he concluded his professional career, taking on a role that spans both the sporting and commercial sides of the organisation. Schleck will work closely with riders, staff and management as Lidl-Trek continue to build around long-term ambitions, with a particular focus on Grand Tour leadership and general classification development.

Schleck’s appointment marks a return to elite team operations more than a decade after his retirement from professional racing in 2014. His role reflects a desire from Lidl-Trek to blend lived Grand Tour experience with broader organisational leadership.

“I’m not here by any accident, I’m here because I still know the DNA of the sport,” Schleck said in the press release. “I know what it means to wear the yellow jersey, to have the pressure in the meeting on the bus, the long hours in the heat.”

That perspective, he explained, is underpinned by a decade spent operating across different areas of cycling beyond the peloton.“With my sporting background, combined with what I did over the last 10 years, learning as a race organiser, running a women’s team of my own, and also having the retail experience of my bike shops, I’ve seen every corner of this sport,” Schleck said, adding that the combination helped him decide to return to a WorldTour environment.

Within Lidl-Trek, Schleck’s remit will extend beyond rider support. His position as Deputy General Manager places him directly within the team’s strategic framework, contributing to decision making around performance pathways, leadership structures and future planning.

“It’s a big challenge, but it’s something I really want to do to help realise the Team’s big goals,” Schleck said.

He also underlined the importance of internal cohesion and standards as the foundation for future success.

“I’m a big believer in teamwork and leadership,” he said. “We’re here to set standards for the future and I believe I can help in achieving that.”

Schleck’s return also reunites him with his brother Frank, who is already part of Lidl-Trek’s women’s programme, and with General Manager Luca Guercilena, who worked with Andy during his racing career.

“The Team has a big history, I was riding here myself when Luca was my Sport Director before he went on to become the General Manager,” Schleck said. “We cannot guarantee victories or results, but we can guarantee professionalism every day and I think if we keep on doing the right thing, results will follow.”

Guercilena welcomed the appointment, highlighting both Schleck’s racing pedigree and his broader experience beyond competition.

“Andy knows this Team inside out, and he understands exactly what it takes to succeed at the highest level,” Guercilena said. “Beyond his sporting achievements, Andy brings a broad perspective from the business side of cycling and from developing teams and events.”

With one of cycling’s most recognisable Maillot Jaune wearers now embedded in its leadership structure, Lidl-Trek are clearly signalling their intent to align Grand Tour ambition with long-term organisational stability.