Miscommunication, mistranslation… and misplaced tension
The episode began when Skjelmose publicly admitted surprise over Ayuso’s signing — and frustration at the way he had been informed about it. Having been told repeatedly that Lidl-Trek wanted to “build a team around him”, the Dane questioned how the arrival of another GC leader might fit into that vision.
Ayuso responded calmly at the time, saying he could “understand a certain frustration” but stressed that top-tier teams “can’t rely on only one leader”. What followed was a media storm driven by translation errors and headlines that amplified the rift — something Andersen now insists has been resolved internally.
“It was a mix of things taken from different places, some of it poorly translated into English, and it turned into a bit of a mess that wasn’t particularly clever,” Andersen admitted. “But we’ve turned the page, and things are looking very positive.”
According to the Danish DS, Ayuso has been “received very, very warmly” by his new teammates and fitted in immediately at the squad’s recent camp, where Lidl-Trek also finalised new ownership details.
Leadership to be defined in coming weeks
While peace has been restored, questions about leadership hierarchy for 2026 remain open. Andersen confirmed that no race programmes have yet been finalised, meaning it’s unclear whether Ayuso and Skjelmose will share Grand Tour duties or alternate leadership roles.
Those decisions, he said, will be made “by the sporting management in the coming weeks”.
For now, Lidl-Trek appear intent on focusing on unity rather than rivalry — a necessary reset as the team looks to step up into cycling’s top echelon with two of the peloton’s brightest Grand Tour GC prospects finally on the same side.