Jakob Söderqvist immediately takes role in Lidl-Trek spring campaign: "I'm still just a student"

This year, we will already see Jakob Söderqvist in Lidl-Trek’s spring core lineup. What role the 22-year-old Swede will play is not yet known. "I'm still just a student, so to speak. I'm going along to gain as much experience as possible," he says in front of the camera of WielerFlits.

Söderqvist made the step up to Lidl-Trek’s WorldTour squad this winter but already impressed last year as a rider for the development team. He won a stage at the PostNord Tour of Denmark and finished third in the NIBC Tour of Holland.

Now the under-23 time trial world champion gets to prove himself at the highest level. At the Volta ao Algarve, Söderqvist already showed good form, losing only seven seconds to Filippo Ganna. "There was power behind it," he explains. "Halfway through I somehow found some energy. A time trial is always a great way to see your form. It’s a good indicator of how strong you are."

Start at the Opening Weekend?
For spring, it’s still uncertain what Söderqvist’s exact schedule will be. What is clear is that he’ll race a lot. The Swede is on the startlist for most of the classics, and if all goes well, he will ride the Opening Weekend. But a final decision on that is yet to be made.

"I know who I am and what I’m capable of. It’s up to others to judge what they can expect from me. We’ll also have to see how things unfold and how I adapt in the peloton, for example. Maybe I'll have a free role, but maybe I’ll have to work for the team," he concludes.