Lidl-Trek team management faces big challenge with Ayuso, Skjelmose (and Gee?)

The feigned innocence Mattias Skjelmose played at Lidl-Trek’s media moment on Friday afternoon might well cause some problems for the German team. German, yes, because now that supermarket Lidl holds a majority stake, they have parted ways with the American license. Who knows, maybe that Deutsche Pünktlichkeit will bring clarity with Skjelmose, newcomer Juan Ayuso, and possibly last-minute transfer Derek Gee. WielerFlits analyzes the key points from Lidl-Trek’s media day.

A ‘must-do’ for Juan Ayuso
The Lidl-Trek media day was set up for (group) interviews and did not include a general introduction revealing plans. New team leader Juan Ayuso was first up, and he stirred up some dust. He pulled a note from his pocket containing a statement about his former team UAE Emirates XRG. He ostentatiously read it aloud, making it clear that it was a demand from his old team to recite this statement during his first appearance after breaking his contract. Further questions were not allowed. The first question after that was how things are going now at Lidl-Trek, to which he laughed out loud and said much better.

The statement Ayuso had to read aloud

Mattias Skjelmose (again) unhappy with the situation
Earlier this autumn, when it became clear that Ayuso would join Lidl-Trek, Mattias Skjelmose was not pleased. His position as team leader for stage races and classics was at risk. This escalated further on Friday when the Dane heard from journalists that the Spaniard would also be racing La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. This was despite being promised sole team leadership in the Ardennes classics by management. Skjelmose will only be the clear leader in the Amstel Gold Race, although Quinn Simmons is also targeting that race. If the American continues his development, he could challenge Skjelmose there.

Then there’s the pending transfer of Derek Gee, who was ‘coincidentally’ spotted by some journalists during the media day at the same hotel. The Canadian champion broke his contract with Israel-Premier Tech in the autumn. That case is still unresolved, so it might take some time before the transfer is finalized. For Skjelmose, it’s another blow, even though he said he supported the idea of acting as a domestique for Ayuso at the Tour de France. The Dane will, however, be leading the Vuelta a España. On Monday, however, he extended his contract until the end of 2028.

photo: Lidl-Trek

Mads Pedersen keeps faith in beating Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar
Despite the two tough climbers in the team, Mads Pedersen remains the absolute leader and star of the squad. This was made clear once again. The Dane also does not lack (an inexhaustible source of) self-confidence. The 30-year-old fast classics specialist, together with his team, has rock-solid belief that he can beat Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. He continues to hunt for a Monument, one of the two career goals he has left. The other is the green jersey in the Tour de France, which he will fully target in the summer.

Jonathan Milan chooses not to race the Tour himself
This also means Jonathan Milan will not be heading to France. Remarkable, since he won two stages and the green jersey in the last edition. Pedersen said that last year he had to adjust to the team’s plans and now it’s Milan’s turn. The Italian sees it a bit differently. He actually wanted to race the Giro d’Italia, as the opening stage in Bulgaria offers a gem of a chance for the first pink jersey. Milan has never worn that prized jersey before.

Thibau Nys probably not racing the Giro, but the Vuelta.
According to several media outlets, it was already certain that Thibau Nys would debut at the Giro in 2026. But that is far from guaranteed. A Lidl-Trek spokesperson says he is indeed on a very long longlist, but Nys will also race the Ardennes classics, and combining that with the Giro is not easy. It is more likely that the young Belgian will head to the Vuelta a España, depending on the parcours. The organizer will announce that this week. Another Tour participation is ruled out. With Ayuso, Skjelmose, Pedersen, Matěj Vacek, and Giulio Ciccone already in the team, there are simply too many captains on the ship.

Clear plans with top talents
Speaking of Vacek: next year he will race almost the same program as Pedersen. Still in a supporting role, as the Dane has to teach the young Czech the ropes. The plan is that Vacek will eventually take over Pedersen’s spot. The only race he will ride this spring without the Dane is Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Also, rising star Albert Philipsen will ride more Flemish classics this spring with the future in mind. However, like last year, he will still race a wide range of events as he does not want to specialize yet. That may take until the 2028 Olympic Games, where he aims to shine in mountain biking.

Not much known yet about the Dutch riders, Belgians start in Saudi Arabia
Nothing has been announced about the programs of Sam Oomen and Bauke Mollema; the latter was delayed with his flight and still needed to have his sporting meeting. Oomen also arrived later. For the other two Belgians, there wasn’t much news to gather. Edward Theuns and Otto Vergaerde both start at the AlUla Tour. Theuns wants to stay with the group around Milan, while Vergaerde was decoupled from Skjelmose by team management and is back in the spring classics core, alongside Pedersen, Vacek, Søren Kragh Andersen, and Matthias Norsgaard.

Women’s team eager to retain Shirin van Anrooij
There are few noteworthy updates from the women’s team, team director Jeroen Blijlevens said. Everything is running smoothly. Top talent Isabella Holmgren will take on more responsibilities. As a result, and because of her mountain biking ambitions, the former junior world champion will not do cyclocross this winter. Her sister Ava will not either after a nasal surgery. Shirin van Anrooij will continue. Her contract runs through 2026, but the women’s team is keen to keep her. With Ellen van Dijk, they have already succeeded. More on that later.