Our development team is going from strength to strength with six new faces joining next season.
This season, Lidl‑Trek Future Racing hit the road with renewed ambition, building on last year with a roster primed for growth and impact. The young squad contested a full UCI Continental calendar, targeting select stage races, one‑day classics and national events, with an eye towards opportunistic victories and gaining valuable experience along the way.
The 2025 season has been a breakthrough year with several standout performances across Europe. Jakob Söderqvist led the way, winning the individual time trial at the Tour of Denmark and claiming the Swedish national time trial title along with second place in Paris-Roubaix U23 behind our own Albert Withen Philipsen. Patrick Frydkjær delivered an early win at Circuit des Ardennes and on the track Héctor Álvarez captured the U23 European Omnium Championship, one week on from a breakthrough ride with the men’s pro team at the Tour of Austria.
With several riders returning, plus fresh talent stepping up, the team is determined to capitalise on its momentum, pushing each other in development, gaining experience in key races, and showcasing the depth of the Future Racing programme.
Sports Director of Lidl-Trek Future Racing, Sebastian Andersen, had this to say – “This year has been yet another incredible season with most of our guys developing into a new level. It’s not easy to follow up on our fantastic season last year, but the boys took up the challenge perfectly and at almost every race, delivered a result. We can be proud that our guys continue to grow, develop and get closer to their potential. We continue working the process and look forward to a new challenge in 2026 with 6 new riders!”
Future Racing Team manager, Markel Irizar, introduces our new riders…
Harry Hudson
“Freshly crowned junior world RR champion, Liege-Bastogne-Liege winner, Vuelta Cantabria stage winner. He is a top, top climber and a very classy rider. We can’t wait to see how he develops, especially in the longer climbs.”
Mats Vanden Eyden
“Mats is a very versatile rider with great climbing skills. He’s also a strong time trialist and comes from cyclo-cross so he can be a kind of GC rider, but also a punchy rider.”
Benedikt Benz
“Benedikt is the current German champion who also comes from cyclo-cross. Another great TT specialist and climber so these characteristics mean he has great potential to be another solid GC rider.”
Thor Michielsen
“A strong Belgian who comes from a track background. He is the European champ in the Madison but on the road, he’s the typical classics rider. For sure, the cobbled classic races will be his speciality and I’m looking forward to seeing him progress.”
Gabriele Scagliola
“Gabriele comes from mountain biking and is still quite new in racing on the road. He has huge potential and is a very punchy, fast rider who can climb really well. He moves really well in the peloton and we had good expectations. We’re curios to see how he develops.”
Enaut Urkaregi
“Current madison world champion on the track, but Enaut is a real GC guy. Very fast climber and great in the TT’s so I’m looking forward to seeing how he’ll do in our colours next season.”
Our returning riders for next season
Martin Pedersen
Martin has taken on more responsibility within the Lidl‑Trek Future Racing setup this year, emerging as a vocal leader and road captain.He’s played a key role in team efforts during stage races, helping to control breakaways and anchor the team’s presence at crucial moments. His 2025 season signaled a rider maturing into a more integral part of the squad’s backbone and one to watch in the season ahead.
Kristian Egholm
Kristian’s 2025 season was a developmental one. Consistent participation, building experience and getting into the mix with nice results. He’s showing promise, especially in stage races and gaining exposure, laying the groundwork for stronger results in future seasons.
Louis Leidert
Louis has shown he can contend in tough stage races and is a man to watch in TT’s. Not yet grabbing victories this season, but 2nd place in stages of Tour de l’Avenir and 3rd in Ronde de l’Izard as well as 2nd in his home TT u23 Nationals show he’s laying groundwork for wins in the coming years.
Jack Ward
2025 for our young Aussie has been a breakout year: domestic success and steadily building performance in the European racing scene. If all goes well, we’re sure to see him pushing for bigger results in races in the new season.
Patrick Frydkjaer
Frydkjær rode strong at the Circuit des Ardennes International, taking his first senior win in the 1st stage. One of the most consistent riders this year, he’s shown resilience, and that win gives a clear signal that he can convert opportunities.
Liam O Brien
This year has been a fantastic season for Liam. No victory but the quality of his results, especially at Ronde de l’Isard and Valle d’Aosta, signals that he’s moving into the upper ranks of U23 climbers. We cannot wait to see him develop even more next year!
Hector Alvarez
Despite some setbacks throughout the year, Hector showed his talent with 3rd in the Tour of Austria against some of the worlds best and most recently, 4th in the U23 World RR Championships in Kigali. Hector is shaping up to be a really exciting rider and we reckon 2026 could be a big one..
Seb Grindley
For Seb, 2025 has been a transitional season: high potential, strong junior credentials, but still in the early stages of adjusting to U23 racing. The injury at the Nationals was a significant obstacle, but given his junior results and the confidence we have in him, he’s building toward stronger performances in the future.
Andrea Bessega
It’s been largely a learning and growth year for Andrea. He has shown promise (especially in junior ranks before stepping up), and his potential for GC and time trials is well recognised. If he continues progressing, especially in stage racing and with more exposure to difficult events, we can expect him to start pushing for more prominent results in the upcoming season.
“As a Team, we’re very balanced” Markel says. “Our speciality will be the cobbled classics with Kristian, Seb, Héctor, Eñaut, Mats and Gabriele. In stage races, we have Harry and Liam. Our real D.N.A of the team will be the real punchy races. It’s a young team but a solid one. I’m looking forward to having a nice season together in 2026”
The focus will be on stepping up in stage races and one-day classics, giving riders more opportunities to lead and learn under pressure. With a mix of returning riders and new signings, the team is committed to fostering a high-performance environment where potential turns into results – and where the next generation of Lidl‑Trek pros takes shape.
1. Martin Pedersen
2. Kristian Egholm
3. Louis Leidert
4. Jack Ward
5. Patrick Frydkjaer
6. Liam O Brien
7. Héctor Alvarez
8. Seb Grindley
9. Eñaut Urkaregi
10. Harry Hudson
11. Benedikt Benz
12. Mats Vanden Eyden
13. Thor Michielsen
14. Gabriele Scagliola
15. Andrea Bessega