Luca Guercilena steps down as CEO of Lidl-Trek during major reshuffle: 'A very long adventure'

Lidl-Trek recently announced the departure of Luca Guercilena. The Italian was the face of the team for 16 years and felt it was time to hand over the baton. Lidl-Trek is also going through a major overhaul, with Andy Schleck becoming the new CEO and Grischa Niermann also joining the management. Guercilena spoke at length about his time on the team’s website.

Guercilena was the face of the team for no fewer than 16 years and saw many people come and go. On a personal level, things were not always easy for the Italian either. In 2021, lymph node cancer was diagnosed, which meant he was unable to work full-time for the team for three years. He returned in 2024 and has been back in charge ever since.

The team boss is especially proud of the structure he brought in within the team. “We were a team that cared about each other and wanted to support the riders 100% of the time. That made the team incredibly determined to reach its goals. That is something you can be enormously proud of as a manager,” he said. On a personal level, he often thinks back to the period of his illness, when everyone in the team wore shirts saying ‘Forza Luca’. “That was a clear message that in difficult times we were there for each other.”

After 16 years, however, there is still one thing that bothers Guercilena. “The fact that Mads [Pedersen] has not been able to win a Monument.” The Italian has immense admiration for his Danish leader. “He is the rider I respect most for his leadership. Even when he was young and had just become world champion, he remained a calm guy who listened to others. He was never aggressive, but always very clear,” he said.

“He has always been honest and respectful towards us and his team-mates,” he continued. “If I needed to get a clear message across to the team, I often asked Mads to do it. Then I could trust that it would come across clearly. He likes helping his team-mates.” He also has one major wish for the Italian team boss. “I so hope he still wins a Monument, whether I am there or not. He really deserves it.”

Guercilena says he will miss his time at the team hugely. “It was a very long adventure, but it was wonderful. I hope the team remains just as successful in the future, because that would be the best reward I could wish for. That would mean I helped build something that will last forever,” he concluded. The Italian is not quite done yet, because he will still be present at the Tour de France first. After that, Andy Schleck will take over his role.

Author: David Bavin-Hobbs - [email protected]