Earthquake in the WorldTour: one of the brains of Visma is going to Lidl-Trek just a few weeks before the Tour

Significant movement in the WorldTour just weeks before the Tour de France. Lidl-Trek has signed Grischa Niermann, who was previously the head sports director of Visma Lease a Bike, in a move that also sees the departure of Luca Guercilena, the manager who had led the project since 2013.

Lidl-Trek signs one of the architects of Vingegaard's success and revolutionizes its sports structure

The news has surprised the peloton because Niermann was one of the most established figures in the Dutch structure. The German took over the global sports direction of the team in 2024 after the departure of Merijn Zeeman and has since been one of the main architects of the strategy that has allowed Visma to continue accumulating successes in grand tours and classics.

His connection with the team was also historic. As a professional rider, he developed his entire career within the Rabobank structure and, after retiring at the end of 2012, he directly took on various technical roles within the organization. He first worked with the development team and since 2017 has been part of the WorldTeam, becoming one of the most influential voices in the formation over the years.

During his time in positions of sports responsibility, Visma established itself as one of the major references in world cycling. Under Niermann's technical direction, the team won multiple grand tours, including two Giro d'Italia, two Vuelta a España, and several of the most prestigious races on the international calendar.

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His arrival fits with the profound transformation that Lidl-Trek has been undergoing since the supermarket chain Lidl acquired a majority stake in the structure at the end of 2025. Since then, the team has implemented strategic changes with the aim of becoming the absolute reference in the world peloton.

The American formation has significantly strengthened its roster over the past few seasons, with notable additions such as Juan Ayuso and Derek Gee, and now adds to its project one of the most valued sports executives in professional cycling.

Niermann's departure also forces Visma Lease a Bike to reorganize its structure. The chosen one to take over the position will be Marc Reef, another in-house technician who has already held high-responsibility roles in recent campaigns. Reef sportingly directed the team in the 2026 Giro d'Italia won by Jonas Vingegaard and had also been part of the strategic core of the Dutch team in previous editions of the Tour de France.

Meanwhile, Lidl-Trek is also preparing changes in its executive leadership. All signs point to Andy Schleck taking on an even more significant role within the organization, in a restructuring that confirms the ambition of the structure for the coming years.

For his part, Luca Guercilena ends a stage of more than a decade at the helm of the team. The Italian was one of the key figures in the transformation of Trek Factory Racing and later led the transition to Lidl-Trek. Various reports now suggest that he could become one of the candidates to take over the direction of the Giro d'Italia, replacing Mauro Vegni.