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Tuesday, September 22, 2026
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Current racing:
- September 20 - 27: World Road Championships
Upcoming racing:
- Sept 27 - Oct 4: Le Tour de Langkawi
Latest completed racing:
- September 16 - 20: Tour de Luxembourg
- September 19: Flandrian 0.0 Classic
- September 18: Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
- September 15 - 18: Giro d'Abruzzo
- September 16: GP de Wallonie
- August 22 - Sept 13: Vuelta a España
- September 13: GP de Montréal
- September 13: GP de Fourmies
- September 13: Trofeo Matteotti
- September 12: Memorial Marco Pantani
- September 11: GP de Québec
- September 10: Coppa Sabatini
Here’s the team’s announcement:
Lidl-Trek is pleased to announce the signing of Igor Arrieta, with the Spanish rider set to join the Team from the 2027 season on a contract that will keep him with Lidl-Trek through 2029.
At just 23 years old, Arrieta has already established himself as one of Spain’s most promising young riders. Hailing from Uharte Arakil in Navarra, he progressed through the Spanish development ranks before making his WorldTour debut with UAE Team Emirates in 2024.
A versatile climber with a strong engine for demanding stage races, Arrieta has continued to make significant steps forward in 2026. He claimed his first WorldTour victory with an impressive win on Stage 5 of the Giro d’Italia this year, overcoming a crash and a wrong turn in a dramatic finale in Potenza. Earlier in the season, he also finished third overall at the AlUla Tour and eighth overall at Itzulia Basque Country, underlining his growing potential across stage races.
Igor Arrieta wins 2026 Giro d'Italia stage five. RCS photo
Speaking about his move to Lidl-Trek, Arrieta said:
“I have a super nice feeling about signing with Lidl-Trek, it’s a really big team that is continuing to grow with the Lidl ownership.
“I’m really looking forward to continuing to grow as a rider over the next season. In the last few years I have improved every year, and I think I can continue to grow at Lidl-Trek. I’m really excited to ride with big talents like Skjelmose, Pedersen, Ciccone and all the guys on the team.:
Arrieta will now join an ambitious Lidl-Trek roster that continues to combine established leaders with a new generation of riders, giving the Spaniard the opportunity to further develop his abilities while contributing to the Team’s Grand Tour and stage-racing ambitions.
CEO Andy Schleck is equally excited to welcome Arrieta to the Team:
“Stage 5 of this year’s Giro d’Italia was one of the most dramatic finales to the race and Igor’s victory in Potenza impressed us and highlighted not only his ability and racing prowess but also his future star power. We believe Igor has a bright career ahead of him and we are looking forward to working with him and seeing him develop.”
With a three-year agreement taking him through the 2029 season, Arrieta will have the time and support to continue his development and take the next steps in what promises to be an exciting career.
“I really hope to grow as a rider, in all aspects of my racing – on the climbs, the flat and in time trials, and I’m looking forward to establishing my place in the team. From the outside it looks like a real family team and it looks like a great one to be a part of.”
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The team sent me this:
Joshua Giddings will remain with Lotto-Intermarché for the next two seasons. The 23-year-old Brit has extended his contract for two years, until the end of 2028. Giddings developed within the team’s development squad, stepped up to the professional ranks two years ago and has taken another clear step forward in recent months. “I’ve had my first taste of winning and I hope to add a few more victories to my palmarès over the coming years.”
Lotto-Intermarché and Joshua Giddings know each other inside out by now. The Brit joined the team’s development squad four years ago and spent two seasons there before turning professional in 2025. Giddings will now remain with Lotto-Intermarché for another two years. “I spent two years as a development rider and I’ve now also been a pro with the team for two years”, says Giddings. “Lotto-Intermarché really feels like home, so I didn’t hesitate to extend my contract. I know the staff and the riders, I know exactly how everything works within the team and I feel a lot of trust from the management. At the same time, I’m still learning with every race. At this point in my career, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
Joshua Giddings wins stage one of the Tour of Taihu Lake in China.
Giddings comes from a strong track background and has mainly found his place in the sprint train since turning professional. His speed, positioning and ability to produce a long effort make him an important part of the lead-out. In recent months, however, the Brit has discovered that he can also achieve results himself. “I still see that role in the sprint train as an important part of what I can do for the team, but I’ve felt a change over the last few months. I finished seventh in the opening stage of the Baloise Belgium Tour and then second in a stage of the Renewi Tour. The latter actually came as a surprise to me. It gave me the confidence I needed to realise that I can do more than just do my job well for someone else.”
That confidence translated into his first professional victory at the Tour of Taihu Lake two weeks ago. Giddings was given his chance as the team’s sprinter and immediately made the most of it. “In a way, it felt like a relief. It doesn’t suddenly change who I am as a rider or the role I can play within the team, but it gives me a lot of confidence for the future.”
Over the next two seasons, Giddings wants to continue developing that versatility. “I’ve made progress every season over the past four years and I hope to do the same over the next two. My role will still often be that of a lead-out rider. I’m a sprinter, but I can just as well do a long effort for someone else. If the team gives me the opportunity to sprint for myself, I’ll obviously grab it with both hands. I’ve had my first taste of winning now and I hope to add more victories to my palmarès.”
Giddings also has some bigger goals for the longer term. “I dream of the spring Classics and of riding my first proper Grand Tour. Last season, I was called up for the Giro at the last minute. Without any specific preparation, I suddenly found myself at the start of my first Grand Tour. I’d love to be able to fully prepare for a race like that, the way you’re supposed to. And the Tour starts in Great Britain next year. I’m allowed to dream, right?”
Sports manager Kurt Van de Wouwer sees Giddings as a great example of the pathway Lotto-Intermarché wants to offer young riders. “Joshua joined us as a young rider coming from the track and we’ve seen him develop within our own structure. First two years with the development team and now two years with the professionals. He has made progress every season during that time. We know Josh’s qualities on the bike, but he is also never afraid to put himself completely at the service of the team. Giddings fits in very well within the group and is a highly valued teammate. At the same time, he has now shown that he can achieve results himself, with his first professional victory in China. Over the next two years, we want to help him continue developing, both as a valuable part of the lead-out and as a sprinter in his own right.”
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The sent me this:
Team Visma | Lease a Bike and Jacco Verhaeren will part ways at the end of this year. Verhaeren, who serves as Head of the Sport Management Team within the team, has decided in consultation with the team not to extend his expiring contract. He will leave the team on 31 December 2026.
Jacco Verhaeren
“I have consciously taken the time in recent months to reflect on my role within the team and the direction in which the team is developing,” says Verhaeren. “In doing so, I came to the conclusion that, for its next phase, this team needs someone else to take the next steps forward. I am proud of what we have built together, navigating a challenging transition while maintaining a high level of performance throughout. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with a top team at the highest level, while continuing to develop both myself and those around me. I will carry the knowledge and experience I have gained here with me as I take on the challenges that lie ahead.”
Verhaeren will remain with the team until 31 December 2026 and will focus in the coming months on ensuring a careful handover of his responsibilities within the Sport Management Team.
Richard Plugge, CEO of Team Visma | Lease a Bike: “Jacco is a top coach who has also proven within our team that he is exceptionally capable of connecting with both riders and coaches. He has made an important contribution to the transition towards and the development of our sport management. Sometimes, the next phase of an organisation requires a different approach. We are grateful for his contribution and will work together over the coming months to ensure a smooth handover.”
Team Visma | Lease a Bike will use the coming period to determine how the future structure and leadership of the Sport Management Team will take shape.
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Here’s the team’s an nouncement:
NSN Cycling Team is pleased to announce the Finlay Tarling Talent Development Scholarship, an annual scholarship created to help identify and develop the next generation of Welsh cycling talent.
In honor of Fin Tarling, who was tragically killed while racing with the NSN Development Team on August 14, the legacy project will be open to Welsh cyclists aged between 15 and 20 with one recipient chosen per year for at least the next five years.
Finlay Tarling.
The successful scholarship rider will receive support in the form of equipment, coaching, and attend the Devo Team training camps, effectively benefiting from the opportunity to learn, train and develop alongside riders and staff working within the team’s performance program.
“To honor Fin, we’re announcing the launch of the Finlay Tarling Talent Development Scholarship,” says NSN Cycling Team General Manager Kjell Carlström. “In the two years Fin was with us, he had a tremendous impact on both the Devo and WorldTour teams as both a rider and most importantly, as a teammate and friend.
“Fin will always be with us in our hearts and memories, so we felt it fitting to create this scholarship in his name so that his passion for the sport could be carried on through the next generation of Welsh cycling talent.”
NSN Development Team Manager Tim Elverson will work alongside Welsh Cycling and Fin’s parents, Michael and Dawn, to identify the annual recipient. The first scholarship rider will be identified in the coming months and will join the first NSN Development Team training camp in February 2027.
“Anyone who knew Fin knew that he loved nothing more than riding his bike,” adds Elverson. “He was determined to turn pro and make it to the WorldTour, something that was on the cards in the near future for Fin in our team. When we thought about how best to honor Fin, we knew that he would love nothing more than see others follow in his footsteps.
“This scholarship will give young riders the same opportunity Fin was afforded to develop in a professional sporting environment. The recipient will be treated as a member of the NSN Development Team in all aspects beyond racing and, should the rider be ready, the opportunity to race as a stagiaire in the second half of the season is a possibility.”
In addition to the Finlay Tarling Talent Development Scholarship, a GoFundMe has been established to allow members of the cycling community and beyond to donate in Fin’s name with proceeds set to benefit the Welsh cycling community. Donations can be made here.
NSN Cycling Team will announce the first recipient of the Finlay Tarling Talent Development Scholarship in due course.