'A significant step forward' – Lidl-Trek launch new junior team
Lidl-Trek Junior Racing to make debut at French race later this month
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Lidl-Trek have become the latest men's WorldTour team to launch their own junior squad.
Lidl-Trek Junior Racing has formed out of a partnership between the WorldTeam and a German regional team, and will provide a talent pathway for 16- to 18-year-olds.
WorldTour teams such as Soudal Quick-Step, Decathlon CMA CGM and Bahrain Victorious all currently have their own in-house under-19 teams. Other squads, like Ineos Grenadiers, Visma-Lease a Bike, and Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, have partnerships with junior teams, to whom they provide equipment and support.
Article continues belowThe roster of Lidl-Trek Junior Racing counts 13 riders, 10 of which are German. British time trial ace Leon Atkins, who signed a contract aged 16 last year to join Lidl-Trek in 2027, is also part of the squad.
The team will make its racing debut at the French two-day Tour du Bocage et de l’Ernée 53 on 28 March.
Commenting on the launch, Josu Larrazabal, Lidl-Trek’s head of coaching, scouting and academy, said in a statement: “Creating Lidl-Trek Junior Racing gives us a level of structure in our scouting process that we haven't had before – one that allows us to detect talent earlier and give young riders a clear, supported pathway toward the development team.
“Because the team is registered as a Club Team it doesn't conflict with races where national federations take part, which means we can build the best possible race programme around each rider.
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“It's also a significant step forward in managing the transition from junior to under-23 level. Just as we've seen with the progression of our U23 riders to the WorldTour, knowing athletes from race situations, from training day-to-day, from how they handle their lives outside of cycling – that knowledge is invaluable.
“This programme improves our ability to find and develop the very best junior talent, and I'm genuinely excited about what that means for the future of this team.”
Since 2024, Lidl-Trek have operated an under-23 team named Lidl-Trek Future Racing, which has 15 riders in 2026, including Britons Harry Hudson and Seb Grindley.
The new junior team bolsters the team below this level. The 13-rider roster is as follows:
Michael Hetteger (Austria)
Leon Atkins (United Kingdom)
Julien Breugnot (France)
Luan Elsäßer (Germany)
Louis Joos (Germany)
Timo Burger (Germany)
Josh Tietjen (Germany)
Sean Arnold (Germany)
Noah Kunz (Germany)
Baltasar Waldmüller (Germany)
Moritz Schwarzer (Germany)
Mathis Müller (Germany)
Timo Zabel (Germany)
Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer and been host of the TT Podcast. He is fluent in French and Spanish, and holds a master's degree in International Journalism.
An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill, and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides. His best result is 28th in a hill-climb competition, albeit out of 40 entrants.
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