Andy Schleck appointed deputy general manager of Lidl-Trek

Andy Schleck, Luxembourg’s 2010 Tour de France champion, is returning to the heart of professional cycle racing as the deputy director of the Lidl-Trek team.

The team is the latest iteration of the Leopard-Trek team that the 40-year-old Schleck was part of when it was founded in 2011 in Luxembourg.

Lidl-Trek, which has been the team’s name since 2023, is registered in Germany. Its current roster of riders includes Danes Mads Pedersen and Mattias Skjelmose, and new arrival Juan Ayuso from Spain.

‘I’m not here by chance’

Andy, the younger of the Schleck brothers, hung up his bike in 2014 following an injury that prevented him from returning to his best. But the winner of 2010 Tour (following the stripping of the title from Alberto Contador) and of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2009, has always remained connected to the sport.

He opened his own cycle shop in Itzig in 2016 and is also president of the Tour de Luxembourg.

“I’ve thought long and hard about whether I’m capable of taking on this role, but yes, I’d like to take on this challenge,” he said in a press release sent out by the cycle team.

“I’m not here by chance. I’m here because I know what this sport is all about,” Schleck explained. “I know what it means to wear the yellow jersey, to feel the pressure of the meetings on the bus and the long hours in the heat. Thanks to my sporting experience, combined with what I’ve done over the last ten years, I have a global vision of this sport. This experience allows me to get involved again and contribute to the team’s performance. It’s a big challenge, but it’s something I really want to do to help the team achieve its ambitious goals.”

Schleck will not be among strangers at Lidl-Trek. As well as working with brother Fränk, he will be back together with the former sporting director at Leopard-Trek, Kim Andersen, who retains the same position at the new team. Andy is also familiar with general manager Luca Guercilena.

“The team has a rich history. I raced here when Luca was my sporting director, before he became managing director. With this heritage and the resources and riders we bring in, we can only go from strength to strength. We can’t guarantee victories or results, but we can guarantee professionalism on a daily basis and I‘m convinced that if we continue along this path, the results will follow,” said Schleck.

Luxembourg rider Alex Kirsch was also on the Lidl-Trek rider roster until this winter when he decided to continue his career at French professional cycling outfit Cofidis.

Waiting for Florian Lipowitz?

Guercilena was enthusiastic about Schleck joining the team. “Andy knows this team inside out, and he understands perfectly what it takes to succeed at the highest level,” said the Italian general manager.

“He has lived through the pressure of the big tours, worn the yellow jersey and led teams through some of the most important moments in cycling,” Guercilena continued. “This experience is invaluable for our riders and staff. Beyond his sporting achievements, Andy brings a global vision of the business of cycling and the development of teams and events. He shares our values, our ambition and our belief in building success ethically. I am very proud to welcome him back to this role and excited about what we can achieve together.”

Lidl-Trek’s ambition is to compete in the future with Emirate racing team UAE Team Emirates XRG, which includes Slovenian multi-tour winner Tadej Pogacar, the undoubted star of international cycling. It is rumoured that in 2027 Lidl-Trek intends to recruit Florian Lipowitz, the wunderkind of German cycling who is under contract with Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe until the end of 2026.

Lidl-Trek is currently ranked third in the number of professional victories in 2025 with 46 behind UAE Team Emirates XRG and Soudal Quick-Step.

(This article was first published by Virgule. Machine translated with editing by Duncan Roberts)