"There's such a thing as too many cooks in the kitchen" - How will Lidl-Trek manage large array of leaders in 2027?
Cycling
Lidl-Trek are one of the teams with the highest budgets in pro cycling and into 2027, the team's quality will grow even further. On this week's CyclingUpToDate Podcast, Rúben Silva and Gavin Quinn have discussed the German team's growth and the problems that may come with its extensive list of leaders.
"It's just this incredible situation where it feels like just about anyone can join," Silva said. There was a major point made regarding the fact that Lidl-Trek is signing riders under contracts; letting go of riders that are still under contract and seeing several of its riders end their careers mid-contract as well.
The German team is one of the new big players on the market over the past few years, with a boost in budget aided by the supermarket giant Lidl. The team, this past winter, has bought out Juan Ayuso from his previous contract; whilst Derek Gee also broke his previous contract with Israel - Premier Tech to join the team.
The duo joined Mattias Skjelmose and Giulio Ciccone, the team's two former climbing leaders, both of which did not take to the team's new transfer policy lightly. Ciccone abandoned his GC ambitions into 2026 and at the Giro d'Italia also saw his first day in the pink jersey end with him losing it as the team did not want to sacrifice Derek Gee's podium ambitions in the race. Ciccone has now departed the team, despite having had a contract that ran until 2029.
Mattias Skjelmose had been previously been promised sole leadership for the 2026 Giro d'Italia. Instead he was moved onto the team's Tour de France block where he would be a second man to Juan Ayuso - the Dane, through his own performances, ended up racing as a co-leader alongside the Spaniard; whilst Ayuso's injury in the spring allowed Skjelmose to be a leader in the Ardennes.
The Dane had also been reported to be unhappy with his role at the team. Whilst he was given leadership at the Vuelta a España, he was not given proper support and was vastly isolated in the mountains - as well as on the hilly days after Mads Pedersen's withdrawal.
Too many cooks in the kitchen
The team has also seen Max Walscheid and Jacopo Mosca recently retired, potentially in order to create space for the team's recent signings. Despite being under contract with Netcompany INEOS, the German team signed Filippo Ganna.
"I suppose it's a byproduct of the kind of arms race in cycling as well, with a lot of young riders now being propelled quickly into the world tour compared to maybe 10, 15, 20 years ago," Quinn argued.
"Yeah, and multi-year contracts being handed out to whether you're a in your prime, even an experienced rider. It's good for the riders, first and foremost, to have the security of multi-year contracts more frequently than we saw before. It creates a headache for teams who want to make a kind of dramatic change to their roster, because they'll have 10, 20 riders on multi-year deals that they, on the surface, can't get rid of, even if they want".
But Lidl's actions in this transfer market suggest that there is a headache, but that the long-term contracts are not preventative of the team's transfer policy. Ayuso, Gee and Skjelmose will now share leadership duties with Felix Gall; whilst both Jonathan Milan and Mads Pedersen will continue seeking leadership in the Grand Tours as well - with Jordi Meeus coming in also potentially to add another leader into the equation.
"There's such a thing as too many cooks in the kitchen, and I think it's probably the best analogy to put together for how Little Trek's roster looks, at least".
Juan Ayuso and Mattias Skjelmose were co-leaders at this year's Tour de France, alongside Mads Pedersen
Jordi Meeus' signing questioned
The team currently has Jonathan Milan and Mads Pedersen, both riders with ambitions of having leadership positions at the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and cobbled classics. Jordi Meeus comes in as a third sprinting option and a rider used to the cobblestones. But where he may get opportunities or be a domestique is unclear.
"if you have Jordi Meeus, Jonathan Milan, and Mads Pedersen in the same team, they're not going to come first, second, and third, you know," Silva pointed out. "And who's going to chase down an attacker in any classic in Belgium in spring? You know, you need a team of three or four riders whose sole duty of the day is to support one, two leaders - not four leaders with two or three helpers".
Whilst it is a situation that can be managed, if all riders present themselves at their best level, it can quickly lead to internal clashes between riders with plenty ambitions. Meeus, a former winner on the Champs-Élysées, has been a head sprinter at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe over the past few years. "How do you fit the expectations of four of those riders? It creates such a headache for team management," Quinn argued. "And I really don't understand maybe one or two of those arrivals being helpers".
Silva believes that the issue comes with the amount of riders of similar quality, both for the mountains and sprints: "The problem is that Meus is exactly the same archetype rider as Milan and Pedersen, so he doesn't add anything to the equation there. I don't think Meus will work for Pedersen or Milan, because his power is exactly in the sprint".
Lennard Kämna and Tao Geoghegan Hart
Silva questioned the team's transfer policy, taking into account the signings of Tao Geoghegan Hart and Lennard Kämna, both directly after serious career-changing injuries. Neither rider has performed at the level they had shown before, displaying the risk of such moves. "Both signings were gambles. I don't think both... I don't think neither worked, which is unfortunate".
He analyzed the team's other signings: "[Georg] Zimmermann, he can fit in there, breakaway specialist, that's fine. [Gregor] Muhlberger, he's a right-hand man at Decathlon, he already didn't pursue his ambitions despite his quality, so he's fine".
Jordan Jegat, 10th place at the previous two Tour de France editions, was another signing: "I think Jordan Jegat, they have to change him completely. He's not going to be a GC rider at the Grand Tours. There is not going to be any space. You can forget about that". Igor Arrieta and double under-23 European Champion Héctor Alvaréz are the remaining two signings.
Felix Gall's move to Lidl
Silva was also doubtful of Felix Gall's move to Lidl-Trek, bluntly assessing that the Austrian's ambitions will likely not grow, whilst it appeared he was already in an ideal position.
"Felix Gall, I believe that he's coming in, his ambitions are going to be the same as he already has. I think... Of course, I am not in the matter and they will have their personal reasons. I think Gall is already perfect where he is. He finished on the podium of two Grand Tours".
Gall experienced his best-ever season in 2026, finishing second at the Giro d'Italia and third at the Vuelta a España with very strong collective support; whilst Paul Seixas has taken over the team's classics and Tour de France block. For Silva, a perfect division of goals which could follow a logic path.
"His leadership wouldn't be put at jeopardy, because he's not the rider who needs to go to the Tour de France. Seixas is the rider that needs to go to the Tour de France. So if they just maintain the plan of this year, they could realistically finish on the podium of all three Grand Tours".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- good to have her back. fingers crossed she‘ll be able to stay!Ketterechts17-10-2026
- A tenner and he wins the Tour next year, too 😂anonymouscyclist17-10-2026
- the answer is either stick to classics or GTs but not bothabstractengineer17-10-2026
- the exodus already stared with Ciccone. Already they were struggling with two sprinters, now there are three. Also Ganna will demand leadership. Gall is the most proven GC, Ayuso has the most potential. GC leadership for everybody will be impossible. Literally a UAE style mess without pogi.abstractengineer17-10-2026
- I raced as an amateur for 12 years, including six years on my country’s national road cycling team. I secured two national titles and competed in three World Championships plus more than 15 international stage races. At 23, we travelled to Italy for a training camp—or so I assumed. On a rest day, we watched a presentation about adopting a more “professional” training approach. It was crystal clear what “professional” meant. That moment first exposed me to this dilemma. After returning from Italy, I left cycling—at least at the competitive level I had known. Over the following two years, the whole team was caught doping. I hold that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. In my view, current stakeholders operate on a different scale, and the sums involved are vast. I am unsure whether any doping would ever be revealed. I try to stay positive and enjoy the show. My 2c.
vannpelt17-10-2026 - Fiver he wins 🤣
leedorney17-10-2026 - “…measures to reduce speeds.” Might as well shorten the race course to just 50km as well? ASO generates at minimum €300m a year and 30- 40% profit. Maybe stop being greedy and spend more of the profit to protect the riders instead.b3tlla17-10-2026
- he also had quite the life off the bike during his pro years. he used his celebrity status to full affect.mij17-10-2026
- Nairo and Froome’s battles were great.mij17-10-2026
- I think it is a good sign to have only signed a couple of riders. it shows their system is working - retention of their own riders and using their development squad. As for retention of their own riders, they won a GT, a monument, they took a points jersey in another GT. They have a U23 WC. They have multiple one day and one week race wins. Keep the core. Their development squad has delivered fantastic results. And for all the talk of Vismas decline, their culture must be amazing since no one signed elsewhere. That is a very GOOD sign.mij17-10-2026
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