Mathieu van der Poel sees key pawn in spring team leave: Søren Kragh Andersen signs with Lidl-Trek
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Follow us on GoogleIt had been in the air for a while, but now it's official. Søren Kragh Andersen is leaving Alpecin-Deceuninck, the team led by Mathieu van der Poel, to join Lidl-Trek, where he will support fellow Dane Mads Pedersen as an important helper in the spring classics and other races. Lidl-Trek announced the transfer in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday morning.
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The 30-year-old Dane has signed a two-year contract with the American team. Kragh Andersen has been riding for Alpecin-Deceuninck since 2023, and before that, he rode for Team DSM from 2016 to 2022.
Kragh Andersen has been regularly present at some of Van der Poel's biggest victories over the past two years, including his wins at Milan-San Remo (2023), the E3 Saxo Classic (2024), and the Tour of Flanders (2024).
Danish contingent at Lidl-Trek continues to grow
At Lidl-Trek, Kragh Andersen can become a key support rider for Pedersen, but he will also have opportunities to pursue his own chances in some races. "Lidl-Trek is one of the top teams of recent years, and I see the team continuing to develop in the future," the Scandinavian rider explained in a statement on his new team’s website.
"This makes it a very attractive and exciting project for me to be a part of," concluded Kragh Andersen, who won two stages of the Tour de France in 2020. "I am especially looking forward to joining some of the best Danish riders of this generation. It will be great fun racing with them," he added, referring to Pedersen, Mattias Skjelmose, and junior world champion Albert Withen Philipsen.
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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