Ayuso to lead a Lidl-Trek trident at the 2026 Tour de France, with a surprise big name added

Lidl-Trek is heading to the Tour de France with not two, but three top climbers. Juan Ayuso and Mattias Skjelmose were supposed to share the team leader role, but a third, surprising general classification contender is joining them. Mads Pedersen will, of course, be there as well. The Dane is going all out for stage wins and the green jersey.

This winter, Lidl-Trek signed both Ayuso and Derek Gee-West, with the goal of finally fielding a strong team for the general classification at the Tour de France. For Ayuso, the spring didn’t go smoothly, even though he had won the Tour of the Algarve. But crashes in Paris-Nice and the Tour of the Basque Country threw a spanner in the works.

In the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, however, the Spaniard proved he was among the best climbers: he finished second in the last two mountain stages and came in third in the overall standings. Teammate Skjelmose finished an impressive sixth, and the duo demonstrated strong teamwork. The first test ahead of the Tour was thus a success for the pair.

However, they’ll also be joined by Gee-West at the start in Barcelona. The Canadian finished fifth in the Giro d’Italia and then took a three-week break. Other than that, he only raced the Andorra Morabanc Clássica and the Canadian National Championships, but he will be part of the team in France. However, the Lidl-Trek website makes it clear that the climber will primarily be riding in a support role.

Ayuso seems to be the out-and-out team leader, and he makes no secret of his ambitions. “The goal is, of course, to be on the podium in Paris,” said the Spaniard. It’s still going to be three weeks of hard work, and we’ll see what we can pull off. Everything can change in a single day. It’s important not to lose any time in the early stages.”

"We've got some tough days in the first week, but it shouldn't get too crazy until the weekend of the second week," the team leader continues. "That's when, along with the final week, the general classification will be decided. I need to get through the first rest day with as much energy as possible, without any crashes or illness. Then, in the final week, I’ll have to make the most of my opportunities.”

Pedersen will mainly have to rely on himself in his quest for stage wins and the green jersey. “I’m feeling pretty good, especially after the Danish championships,” says the former world champion. “It was great to put on race numbers again. It’s been a while, so it’s always nice to see how it feels when others in the peloton are pushing themselves to the limit.”

The 29-year-old sprinter has his goals, but he’s realistic. “The main goal is to win a stage. We’re also aiming for the green jersey, but the new points system isn’t in our favor. However, nothing is impossible, and we’ve seen other riders pull it off before when we least expected it. We believe it’s possible.”

The rest of the team is strong, but primarily built around the team leaders. Mathias Vacek is coming off a third-place finish in the Tour de Suisse and will be a valuable asset both on the flats and in the mountains. The versatile Toms Skujins is also on the roster, as is U.S. champion Quinn Simmons. For the high mountains, Ayuso will be joined by Skjelmose and Gee-West, as well as his experienced compatriot Carlos Verona. As previously mentioned, Giulio Ciccone will not be participating in the Tour.