Carlos Verona will leave Movistar and ride for Lidl-Trek in 2024 and 2025 after an expected move to Ineos Grenadiers was put on hold and then dropped completely.
The Spanish rider has agreed on a two-year deal with Lidl-Trek and will bolster their Grand Tour squad that includes new signing Tao Geoghegan Hart, Giulio Ciccone, Juan Pedro López and Mattias Skjelmose.
After the arrival of new sponsor Lidl, the UCI-registered WorldTour team has also signed sprinter and Classics rider Jonathan Milan, who will race alongside Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven, Quinn Simmons and Thibau Nys in the team’s Classics squad.
Verona was linked to a move to Ineos Grenadiers during the summer but the British team appear to have frozen their 2024 signing strategy and contract extensions to focus on securing Remco Evenepoel as a new Grand Tour team leader.
“After five very nice years at the Movistar team I had the feeling that it was the right moment to look around to find a team where I could keep growing as a cyclist,” Verona explained.
“I want to enjoy the best years of my career with new goals and motivations and luckily the opportunity to join Lidl-Trek came just at the right moment," he continued. "Everything happens for a reason and I am very happy about this journey that is about to start.
“What attracts me most to Lidl-Trek is the way the team usually races. You can feel how every team member fights for the team goals, playing with different cards while having fun. I can’t wait to be part of such an international group of people where the influence of different countries and cultures makes the team so interesting for every team member.
“On top of that I am very happy to join a project that is in the beginning of a new era with Lidl as a new sponsor, along with the knowledge of Trek behind the team and additionally I am really happy to keep working with SRAM. I think we have all the ingredients necessary to grow, represent our sponsors in the best way possible and make them proud on and off the road. I can’t wait to be a part of Lidl-Trek from 2024 onwards!”
