With a press release issued yesterday evening, a few hours after sending the declarations of Bella Holmgren, white jersey at the Giro d'Italia Women's cycling, the Lidl Trek closed (first with a pdf and immediately after with an article on your site) Luca Guercilena's 16 years at the helm of the teamA decision that should have come at the change of season and which instead was brought forward, as last year Red Bull-Bora reset its technical staff after the Tour de France: is this a trend in the new cycling that also occurs in this one or is it a purely German trend? After so many years, wouldn't it have been better to say goodbye with a press conference?
«After more than sixteen unforgettable years – these are the words of the Milanese manager – I feel that The time has come to hand over leadership and allow the team to enter its next phase. with new impetus and a renewed drive that will fuel the desire to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible in our sport. Lidl-Trek will forever be the team I'm most attached to."
In a world of confidentiality clauses and agreements, This is the version that will be discussed in bars and on social media., which are the bars of the digital society.
Trainer, technician and manager
The story, in short. Trained at the Mapei Centre as a trainer, when Squinzi's team closed its doors in 2002, Luca Guercilena (born in 1973) moved to Quick Step where he worked first as a trainer and then as sports director. In 2011, with the birth of Leopard-Trek, he was called as sporting director. When in 2013, following a chaotic management, the team needed a refoundation and took the name of Radio Shack-Leopard, Guercilena became the general manager, completing a professional transformation (also including the role of coach of the Swiss national team from 2012 to 2016, with two Olympic gold medals under his belt) which made him one of the most complete figures in terms of competence.
From 2016 to April 2023, the team was named Trek-Segafredo, then Lidl has arrived, with the incredible race to change shirts and vehicles for the start of the Tour de France, when the new colors were revealed. The last change will be from the end of 2025, when Lidl has acquired a majority stake in the company, making it a German flagship team.. And since then, with the arrival of new figures such as Thomas Rohregger (head of Lidl's cycling division) and the Schleck brothers (Frank in charge of the women's team, Andy appointed CEO of the team starting from August 1st) there was a sudden change in relationships and it was understood that the change was imminent.
Corporate restructuring
As part of the future-oriented corporate restructuring, the press release states, Grischa Niermann, former racing manager of Team Visma | Lease a Bike, joins the organization as Chief Sporting Officer (CSO), while performance expert Dan Lorang, coming from Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe, will take on the role of new Head of Performance. Alongside them, there is talk of the arrival of Martijn Redegeld, from Ajax Amsterdam, as head of nutrition and York-Peter Klöppel, from the Red Bull Athletic Performance Center, who will lead the mental performance department. With their arrival, the aim will be to develop the “Crivit Performance Center” of the Schwarz Group companies in Germany, led by Dan Lorang.
«We are deeply grateful for the culture that Luca has built – said Thomas Rohregger, who rode with Guercilena from 2011 to 2013 – and for the standards of excellence he has established. With a new leadership structure designed to support the team's continued growth and its long-term ambitions, Lidl-Trek is about to begin an exciting new chapter focused on innovation, excellence and sustained success at the highest level of professional cycling.
The Last Tour
Why buy a team that works and then change everything? La Lidl Trek which finished second in the rankings in 2025 really needs so much restructuring? Clearly, the new owner is entitled to make whatever decisions he deems appropriate. However, reflecting on the chaos of the last Giro d'Italia, when tensions between the owners and the team's management were rife, it makes one wonder whether tearing down walls and putting up new ones while the old tenants still live in the house is perhaps not the best way to ensure life continues according to the approved plans.
Having taken note of the situation and adhering to the requests received to ensure a painless transition, Luca Guercilena has agreed not to add anything else and to lead his team towards the Tour de France. It will certainly be interesting to see how it will be possible to manage it, with the management decapitated, with Ayuso stamping, Skjelmose who is already thinking of leaving and ciccone who owes the leap in quality to Guercilena and had already discussed a contract extension with him. No problem if the riders keep their wordOtherwise, there will be difficult days in France too.
The man of the Giro
Everyone says that Guercilena could be or will be Mauro Vegni's replacement at the helm of the Giro d'ItaliaInitially the management of RCS Sports he invited him for a discussion on the main systems and on the management of the Giro, then he formalized his offer. Still busy with Lidl-Trek, Guercilena has been taking his time, having two years left on his contract with the team. Now that that deal is about to close, with Lidl-Trek honoring his commitment, he's likely whether or not to accept the Giro's proposal will be linked to the discretionary freedom that will be guaranteed to himThis is his request, to be put down in black and white.
The Milanese has the depth, personality, education and preparation (clearly not yet the experience) of a manager like Christian PrudhommeWe are talking about a leader who received the guidance of the Tour de France by Jean Marie Leblanc and led him towards modernity without giving up anything in terms of charisma and authorityThe Giro needs all this and probably Guercilena, put in the conditions to learn and then to work, is the right person to lift the race from the dimension into which it is slipping.
We will await the possible announcement with great curiosity and at that point, as we jokingly told him on Sunday in Rome, the next step could be the presidency of the UCI. In those parts, a good renovation is really needed…
