Gatorade will be active again in professional cycling in 2026. The American sports drink brand is entering into a partnership with the American top team Lidl-Trek. This marks Gatorade's return to professional cycling for the first time since 2013.
Lidl-Trek aims to leverage the expertise of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute through this collaboration, in order to "develop personalized and performance-driven hydration strategies for its riders," according to a press release.
This is a multi-year partnership with Gatorade and the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI). From now on, Lidl-Trek's riders can rely on personalized hydration strategies based on GSSI's leading sweat analysis and performance testing technologies. The team hopes to better prepare its riders for peak performances in the most demanding races.
The difference between victory and second place?
"In modern cycling, even a marginal improvement can mean the difference between winning and finishing second. Inadequate hydration can jeopardize power, precision, and decision-making at crucial race moments. Through this partnership, Lidl-Trek aims to achieve measurable performance gains with precisely tailored hydration strategies," the team stated.
As part of the collaboration, Gatorade branding will be prominently featured on Lidl-Trek race apparel, including jerseys, socks, and the iconic Gatorade water bottles. Gatorade is also active as a sponsor in many other sports, such as Formula 1 and football.
The Italian top rider Gianni Bugno in his rainbow jersey and Gatorade shorts – photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos
The somewhat older cycling fan will immediately think of the eponymous Italian cycling team from the 1990s when hearing the name Gatorade. The American sports drink brand Gatorade took over in 1990 from Chateau d'Ax and became the main sponsor of the team of two-time world champion Gianni Bugno, the late Laurent Fignon and Dirk De Wolf. After three seasons, Polti took over the sponsorship baton.
