“What his arrival could mean for me?” - Jakob Söderqvist weighs up Filippo Ganna’s Lidl-Trek transfer after dominant Eneco Tour TT win
Cycling
Jakob Söderqvist had just produced another major statement against the clock at the 2026 Eneco Tour when the conversation in Tilburg turned towards Filippo Ganna.
Two days after narrowly winning the opening prologue in The Hague, Söderqvist was a much clearer winner over Thursday's longer 13.5-kilometre test. The Lidl-Trek rider stopped the clock in 15:04.71, beating Finn Fisher-Black by 11.28 seconds and Ethan Hayter by 11.74.
It was Söderqvist's second victory of the week and fifth career win in a time trial, continuing a season in which the 23-year-old has also finished third in the Volta ao Algarve time trial, second in the Tour de Romandie prologue and fifth in the elite men's World Championship time trial in Montréal.
From 2027, however, Lidl-Trek's time trial ranks will also include one of the defining specialists of the modern era. Two-time world champion and Hour Record holder Ganna will join the team next season, placing him alongside a Söderqvist whose own results against the clock continue to climb.
Heart-in-the-mouth stuff! 😮 Jakob Söderqvist survives a late scare to take victory in the Stage 2 time trial at the Eneco Tour! 👏 https://t.co/YuZNeFFVdh
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) October 15, 2026
Two wins in three days
Söderqvist was quickest at the intermediate checkpoint in Tilburg before carrying that advantage through to the finish, averaging 53.792km/h across the stage. "It was a fast time trial, without too much headwind, so it was quicker than last year," Söderqvist told In de Leiderstrui afterwards. "There were some fast corners in there, which I like because they keep you sharp. I enjoyed it more than I normally do."
The victory also gave Söderqvist considerably more breathing room in the general classification. Wessel Mouris and defending champion Christophe Laporte had both started the day only one second behind him, while Hayter was at two seconds.
"So far everything is going well, as planned," Söderqvist said. "I rode well here last year too, so this race suits me. The form is there again now as well, so we hope to keep this leader's jersey. We know how good the competition is, but we're here to fight."
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Ganna joins Lidl-Trek in 2027
With Söderqvist's own time trial results increasingly prominent, In de Leiderstrui also asked him about Ganna's arrival at Lidl-Trek and what sharing a team with the Italian could bring. "I haven't really thought yet about what his arrival could mean for me," Söderqvist admitted.
Ganna will bring a vastly different level of experience to Lidl-Trek, having won two elite world time trial titles alongside his Olympic and world championship success on the track. He is also arriving with major ambitions of his own, including in the Classics and against the clock.
Asked what the two might eventually be able to offer each other, Söderqvist left that question for 2027. "It's a really nice transfer for Lidl-Trek. The team is ambitious," he said. "We'll see what we can do for each other, but for now I'm focused on the Eneco Tour. After that, we'll start making plans for 2027."
Söderqvist's immediate position is considerably clearer. In Tilburg alone he took 11.74 seconds from Hayter, 18.32 from Wessel Mouris and 28.15 from Laporte before the Eneco Tour returns to the road.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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