End of an era at Lidl-Trek: Guercilena leaves the team after 16 years at the helm

Lidl-Trek has confirmed a major restructuring of its management team that will mark the beginning of a new phase in one of the most ambitious projects in the peloton. After weeks of rumors, the team has announced the departure of Luca Guercilena after 16 years at the helm of the structure, the arrival of Grischa Niermann from Visma Lease a Bike, and the incorporation of Dan Lorang, one of the most prestigious coaches in modern cycling.

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The changes will gradually take effect after the 2026 Tour de France and reinforce the feeling that Lidl-Trek wants to accelerate its transformation to compete head-to-head with structures like UAE Team Emirates-XRG or Visma Lease a Bike.

The most significant news is the departure of Luca Guercilena, one of the great architects of the project since the days of Leopard-Trek. The Italian has been a key figure in the evolution of the structure, first as sports director and later as the team's top manager.

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During his tenure, he oversaw the growth of Trek Factory Racing, the creation of the women's team, the development of the under-23 and junior academy, and, more recently, the transition to the current Lidl-Trek era.

Guercilena will remain in his position until the conclusion of the 2026 Tour de France to facilitate an orderly transition before definitively leaving the organization at the end of July.

“After 16 unforgettable years, I feel that the time has come to hand over the leadership and allow the team to enter a new phase with new impulses and energy,” explained the Italian leader in the official statement.

Andy Schleck will be the new CEO

The transition will fall to Andy Schleck, who will take on the role of CEO, a position created specifically for this new structure.

The Luxembourger, winner of the 2010 Tour de France, returned to Lidl-Trek at the end of 2025 as deputy general manager and will now take a further step to become the executive head of the project.

Schleck highlighted the influence that Guercilena has had in building the team and assured that his goal will be to maintain the winning culture developed over the last decade while driving the next phase of growth.

Niermann leaves Visma to lead the sports area

The restructuring also includes the incorporation of Grischa Niermann, whose departure from Visma Lease a Bike was made public this Tuesday.

Niermann will take on the new position of Chief Sporting Officer (CSO) starting September 1, once his official association with the Dutch team concludes.

The German has been one of the most important figures in Visma's recent successes and arrives with the mission of coordinating the entire sports strategy of the men's, women's, and development structures.

His signing represents one of the most significant moves in the executive market in recent years and confirms Lidl-Trek's intention to strengthen itself with proven profiles from rival teams.

Dan Lorang will lead a new performance center

The other major addition is Dan Lorang, who recently left Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe after a decade of work in the German structure.

Lorang will take on the role of performance manager and will also lead the new Crivit Performance Center, a joint initiative between Lidl-Trek and Schwarz Group, the company that owns the Lidl chain.

Along with Lorang, other specialists will also join, such as Martijn Redegeld, former nutritionist for Visma, who will be responsible for the nutrition area, and York-Peter Klöppel, from Red Bull's performance network, who will lead the mental preparation section.

These moves are the latest step in a transformation that began with Lidl's arrival as the main sponsor in 2023 and accelerated when the German giant acquired a controlling position within the structure in 2025.