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Lidl-Trek veteran Jacopo Mosca announces retirement - Rider to become sports director as free space could clear way for Ganna transfer. Tuesday, 06 October 2026 at 13:45 Lidl-Trek have announced that veteran Jacopo Mosca will retire this month, bringing his iconic career to an end as he joins the team's staff as sports director from 2027. The 33-year-old Italian calls time on his career after eight seasons at WorldTour level with the team. Joining the team in his early twenties after struggling to break into the top tier of the sport, he finishes his career with three wins and eight Grand Tour appearances. His last race will see him take on Gran Piemonte on home roads before moving to the team car from next season. His retirement now frees up the final spot on their roster for 2027, with 29 riders confirmed for next season. The team have been linked with a surprise move for Filippo Ganna, and now have the space on their team to register the Italian should the decision be finalised. "He's not the only one that can come close... the guy next to me" - Tadej Pogacar warns of Del Toro "In 2019, I joined a very small team, but a very good one, D'Amico-UM Tools. I need to thank them, because they gave me the possibility to believe I could still be a rider and gave me a very good calendar," Mosca said. "I was away racing and I got a message from Josu [Larrazabal] and Adriano Baffi. They said 'we're looking for a guy like you for next year.'" Mosca to become sports director. The Italian will become sports director at the team as the staffing side of the structure continues its year of change, which included Andy Schleck's new role as CEO and the departure of Luca Guercelina after 16 years with the team. "I grew a lot with the team and I showed that as a rider I was always there to help others. I think 2020 was my best year as a rider, I had good numbers and got good results. A bad crash the following year made things difficult, but I came back at a high level. From that moment, I was always a helper and I tried to be the best helper possible. "I was given the option of being a sports director for next year and I'm really happy to step in the car next season, even if it is going to be a big change. I'm really looking forward to it." Read also. Mosca hopes to teach skills to the new generation. Mosca knows that cycling is evolving at a faster pace than ever, and hopes that his role as a rider can help him get through to cyclists. His main motivation is to pass the torch to the younger generation. "I've seen how much cycling has evolved and I think they can trust me because I have come straight from being a rider and I was one of the guys who probably suffered the most in the bunch. "I think, in the end, most of the time it is your head that makes a difference and gives you motivation so you can do more with your legs. I want to teach younger riders, above all, to enjoy cycling as much as possible. It's a beautiful privilege that we have to be able to do this." After you click "Subscribe," you'll receive an email from CyclingUpToDate.com right away. In some cases, it may end up in your spam folder, so be sure to check there as well to confirm. Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42. His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin's writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate. claps 0 visitors 0

Giulio Ciccone on the move? Tom Pidcock's Pinarello might pull off another massive transfers. Wednesday, 23 September 2026 at 12:30 Lidl-Trek have recently confirmed the signing of Felix Gall and Gregor Mühlberger, further boosting a mountain block that was already crowded to begin with. It's uncertain how so many leaders would fit together, but reportedly, they may not. Giulio Ciccone is said to be potentially leaving the German team, despite having three more years in his contract. Ciccone turned professional in 2016 with the Bardiani team, immediately winning a stage at the Giro d'Italia and making a strong impression that year. He moved to Lidl-Trek in 2019, having become one of the best climbers and classics specialists in the world. Alongside 13 wins in his palmarès, Ciccone has conquered the KOM jersey at the Tour de France in 2023; as well as two times at the Giro d'Italia - 2019 and 2026. He has won three times at the Giro, won the Clásica San Sebastián and several other races at World Tour level; whilst having finished on the podiums of Il Lombardia and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "He's not the only one that can come close... the guy next to me" - Tadej Pogacar warns of Del Toro Ciccone is a rider that has consistently delivered. His goals of becoming a Grand Tour rider never came to be, with his prime performance being the 2024 Tour de France where he finished in 11th place. After a disappointing 2025 bout, he decided to steer away from the three-week races when it comes to fighting for the GC. Giulio Ciccone alongside Derek Gee at this year's Giro d'Italia Ciccone might follow in the footsteps of Mattias Skjelmose. With Lidl-Trek having Juan Ayuso, Mattias Skjelmose, Derek Gee, Mads Pedersen and Jonathan Milan all carrying their own ambitions in the Grand Tours, there would be less space for Ciccone to be a leader - whilst his skills lie elsewhere. The Italian was recently second behind Remco Evenepoel at the GP de Québec and seventh at the GP de Montréal, making him an outsider to conquer the rainbow jersey. But his future is far from certain. Ciccone has a contract until 2029 with the German team. But like his teammate Mattias Skjelmose who extended his deal earlier this winter, Ciccone is also potentially leaving the team at the end of this season. Read also. Pinarello and Tudor interested in giulio Ciccone. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team are high on signing the 31-year old. The Swiss team has already conducted eight signings that have been made public, but have not completed their 2027 team yet - and they might take in yet another leader. Wielerflits has reported that not only in Pinarello looking to bring the climber in, but so is Tudor Pro Cycling Team who have seen the retirement of Julian Alaphilippe this year, and have not yet signed a rider of a similar budget. After you click "Subscribe," you'll receive an email from CyclingUpToDate.com right away. In some cases, it may end up in your spam folder, so be sure to check there as well to confirm. A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site's editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling. Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate's wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage. He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed. Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor's degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport. Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)... Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate's English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage. claps 0 visitors 0

Igor Arrieta joins Lidl-Trek through 2029 after breakthrough 2026 season. September 21, 2026 Igor Arrieta will leave UAE Team Emirates-XRG at the end of the season and join Lidl-Trek from 2027, signing a three-year contract through to the end of 2029. The 23-year-old Spaniard arrives after the strongest season of his professional career, including third overall at the AlUla Tour, eighth at Itzulia Basque Country and his first WorldTour victory on stage 5 of the Giro d'Italia. He also finished his second Giro in 19th overall and fifth in the young rider classification. Lidl-Trek see Arrieta as a rider who can continue developing while already contributing to their increasingly deep Grand Tour group. The move takes him away from UAE Team Emirates-XRG after three seasons and into a team which has made a series of climbing-focused additions for 2027. "I have a super nice feeling about signing with Lidl-Trek," Arrieta said. "It's a really big team that is continuing to grow with the Lidl ownership." Arrieta has taken another step in 2026. Arrieta joined UAE Team Emirates-XRG from Equipo Kern Pharma for the 2024 season on an initial three-year contract. His first two years were largely about establishing himself at WorldTour level. A fourth place on a Giro d'Italia stage in 2025 offered an early indication of what he could do in a Grand Tour, while victory at the Prueba Villafranca - Ordiziako Klasika later that season gave him his first professional win. The results became more substantial this year. Arrieta started 2026 with third overall at the AlUla Tour, finishing 21 seconds behind UAE teammate Jan Christen. He then reached the top 10 at Itzulia Basque Country, where he finished eighth overall. There was also a near miss on stage 3 in Basauri. Arrieta and Axel Laurance went clear on the final climb before contesting the victory between them, with Laurance beating the Spaniard in the uphill sprint. ProCyclingUK's Itzulia Basque Country stage 3 report covered one of the performances that showed Arrieta was increasingly capable of creating his own opportunities rather than simply working within UAE's climbing group. The Giro then produced the result which changed the shape of his season. Potenza provided Arrieta's WorldTour breakthrough. Stage 5 of the Giro d'Italia was chaotic even by the standards of a wet Grand Tour stage. Arrieta made the decisive breakaway and attacked before the Montagna Grande di Viggiano, eventually going clear with Afonso Eulálio. Both riders crashed during the run towards Potenza, and Arrieta then took a wrong turn inside the final kilometres. He still won. Eulálio looked to have the stage when Arrieta made his mistake, but the Portuguese rider began to fade on the final rise. Arrieta recovered, caught him and passed him in the closing metres to claim his first WorldTour victory. Lidl-Trek CEO Andy Schleck pointed directly to that afternoon when explaining what attracted the team to Arrieta. "Stage 5 of this year's Giro d'Italia was one of the most dramatic finales to the race and Igor's victory in Potenza impressed us and highlighted not only his ability but also his future star power," Schleck said. "We believe Igor has a bright career ahead of him and we are looking forward to working with him and seeing him develop." Arrieta briefly moved to second overall because of the time gained by the breakaway. The traditional GC contenders eventually moved back ahead as the Giro reached the major mountains, but he remained competitive enough to finish 19th overall and fifth among the young riders. For a 23-year-old who had entered the race primarily as part of UAE's wider climbing group, that was a useful three-week test as well as a stage victory. Lidl-Trek are assembling a deeper Grand Tour group. Arrieta joins a Lidl-Trek roster which is becoming noticeably stronger in the mountains. Felix Gall and Gregor Mühlberger have already been confirmed as 2027 arrivals from Decathlon CMA CGM. Gall joins after finishing second at the Giro and third at the Vuelta a España this season, while Mühlberger provides an experienced mountain domestique who has worked closely with him. Their moves are covered in ProCyclingUK's report on Felix Gall and Gregor Mühlberger joining Lidl-Trek. Georg Zimmermann is another addition through 2029. The German offers a different profile, combining hilly Classics ambitions with the ability to work across difficult stage races. ProCyclingUK covered his move in Georg Zimmermann joins Lidl-Trek on three-year deal. Jordan Jegat is also arriving after consecutive top-10 finishes at the Tour de France. Arrieta is younger than all of them and does not arrive with a fixed place in the hierarchy. Lidl-Trek already have established leaders and several riders capable of taking responsibility in stage races, but his 2026 season gives the team more than a development prospect. He has already won a Giro stage and finished inside the top 10 of a WorldTour stage race. Arrieta wants to develop beyond climbing. The three-year contract gives Lidl-Trek time to establish exactly what sort of rider Arrieta can become. Climbing is already the strongest part of his profile, but Arrieta has identified several areas where he wants to improve rather than defining himself solely as a mountain specialist. "I really hope to grow as a rider, in all aspects of my racing, on the climbs, the flat and in time trials, and I'm looking forward to establishing my place in the team," he said. That development will take place around riders Arrieta already sees as reference points. "I'm really excited to ride with big talents like Skjelmose, Pedersen, Ciccone and all the guys on the team," he said. His time trial is the most obvious area where improvement could change the type of races he can target. Arrieta has shown that he can stay close to strong stage-race riders in the mountains, but becoming more competitive against the clock would give him a better chance of protecting those gains across a week-long general classification. Lidl-Trek do not need to decide immediately whether that becomes his long-term direction. His current skill set also makes him useful as a mountain support rider and an attacking option on difficult stages. Arrieta leaves UAE after three seasons of development. Moving to Lidl-Trek also ends the next stage of a career which has progressed steadily through the Spanish system. Arrieta came through Lizarte before spending two professional seasons with Equipo Kern Pharma. UAE Team Emirates-XRG signed him for 2024, giving him his first WorldTour opportunity at 21. He will leave three years later with a Grand Tour stage victory and considerably more evidence of where he can compete. The depth at UAE has helped his development but also creates obvious competition. The team has a large collection of young stage-race talent alongside its established Grand Tour leaders, so opportunities to race for himself are never automatic. Lidl-Trek are hardly short of leaders either, but Arrieta believes the environment gives him room to continue progressing. "From the outside it looks like a real family team and it looks like a great one to be a part of," he said. His signing continues a busy 2027 transfer window for the team and has been added to ProCyclingUK's men's cycling transfers hub. The Potenza victory showed what Arrieta can already do when a race opens up around him. Lidl-Trek now have three seasons to find out whether those performances can become a more regular feature of the biggest stage races.