“There must be a way to beat him" - Schleck determined to crack Pogacar code as he details Lidl-Trek's plan to become best in the world
Cycling
Andy Schleck is taking well to life at the helm of Lidl-Trek after almost a year with the team following his thorough learning of the sport after retirement. With ambitions to lead the team to becoming the best in the world, he knows finding a way to beat Tadej Pogacar is the key to unlocking his ambitions.
The Luxembourgish ex-rider ran a bike shop, worked for ASO and Škoda, as well as organised races in the years following his retirement at the end of 2014, gaining an all-angles perspective on the sport before taking the helm this season.
He believes his approach to running the team helps him bring a broad overview to the team: “I think I have seen 95 percent of all sides of cycling by now. As a result, I have a good overview of the sport," he told Wielerflits.
“They [riders, Ed.] form the smallest part of the team, but they are the most important. At the same time, I find it important to talk to the mechanics and listen to them as well.”
Tadej Pogacar at the 2026 Vuelta a España
Schleck enjoying return to heart of racing
Nothing beats the thrill of racing, and returning to the heart of the race - albeit in a team car on occasion - has helped him re-find his flare and love for road racing. When it comes to the sporting side, he reiterated Lidl-Trek's long term goal - creating a sustainable pathway to challenging UAE Team Emirates - XRG and Visma | Lease a Bike and becoming the best team in the world.
“Sometimes I’m even more nervous than when I was riding myself. I know my place isn’t really in the car, but when I have the time and freedom to jump in, I get incredibly nervous and excited. When I watch races, I’m in it with all my heart.
“From a sporting perspective, of course, we want to become the best team in the world. That is no secret; that is our long-term goal. But the most important thing is that we build a sustainable team that not only wins races but changes the sport. We are not here just to participate; we want to set new standards.”
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Beating Tadej Pogacar
Becoming the best means beating the best, and there's no-one better than UAE' all-conquering Pogacar. While some teams have settled into shaping their approach around the Slovenian, Schleck believes the only way is to continue to innovate and find a way to beat him.
Still only 28-years-old, his dominance and age profile means he's likely going nowhere in the coming years. Schleck finds motivation in rivalling the five-time Tour de France winner.
“There must be a way to beat him. We haven’t found it yet, because he continues to dominate the sport. But we keep searching and strengthening our resources. Eventually, we will find a way.
"It won’t be easy, but we are not afraid of challenges. We are not going to wait until he stops. We want to actively take on the fight.”
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.
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- Mathieu and Wout!!! You must start in CX this winter! (hope you reading comments here...) ;-)averagecyclist12-11-2026
- Who made you site boss?Lozza12-11-2026
- This shows so well you’ve never ventured out to a cycling event and checked out spectators.Jumpyjohn12-11-2026
- I preferred the one about amateur riders and passing (perhaps to explain why he can’t ride at 220 which would probably be more effective to return to shape).Jumpyjohn12-11-2026
- Not just ManU, far worse in some minority sports ventures.Jumpyjohn12-11-2026
- From your writing it sounds like you’ve been sharing your views with people here for quite a while, quite presumouptuous for a new profile.Jumpyjohn12-11-2026
- Which is amazing given his weight and size, though, unlike in boxing and some rare instances we haven’t a clue what his fighting weight was. Anybody know why these “public” figures floated around are considered as being accurate?Jumpyjohn12-11-2026
- That’s a first point, everyone can have an off year or just stagnate before a new upward cycle. What would have been more interesting is including Skjelmose’s performance into the discussion, things have also been expected from him after several performances in the past but he hasn’t really progressed either, his TdF was basically what you would have expected but he’s 26 and been kind of stuck at this level for at least 2-3 years. Maybe he’s a late developer or maybe he needs something to change but as manager I’d be just as demanding and worried about both. Perhaps the recruitment concept was to have enough talent so at least one every year would be in shape and they’ve just been unlucky. Don’t want to rub it in but you could even say Mads lost a notch, so is it the riders or is it more to do with the team?Jumpyjohn12-11-2026
- Bingo...I was also going to say that young pretty women are obsessed Pogi fan girls... who are chasing him. All glossy "____" (blank) about Tadej. PS: You can all fill in the "blank" yourselves, whatever you prefer. The definition of glossy is: It looks unusually shiny, glazed over, watery, or vacant/unfocused.PogiSloFans12-11-2026
- Are you able to discuss ANYTHING without making a reference back to your Special 1? It’s almost as if you’re paid by his marketing team to improve his ranking in search results.Jumpyjohn12-11-2026
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