Giulio Ciccone will depart Lidl-Trek at the end of the 2026 season, having reached a mutual agreement with the German WorldTour team to part ways before the expiration of his contract, which was due to run until 2029.
It means the Italian will ride his final race for them this Saturday at Il Lombardia, where he will lead the team alongside Quinn Simmons and Juan Ayuso, ending his time after joining from Bardiani in 2019 and managing 10 victories.
"After eight seasons together, the Team and Giulio have reached the mutual decision to part ways, which means Il Lombardia will be the Italian’s final race in Lidl-Trek colours," read a short statement released by the team on Friday.
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"We want to thank Giulio for all he has done for the team and wish him all the best for the future."
Tom Pidcock's Swiss team Pinarello Q36.5 has widely been reported as the expected new team for Ciccone, with La Gazzetta dello Sport and Het Laatste Nieuws both reporting in recent weeks that the deal was already done, with just official confirmation missing.
Ciccone won two stages of the Giro d'Italia, the Clasicá San Sebastián, and five WorldTour races in total with Trek, and wore both the yellow jersey at the Tour de France and the pink jersey at the Giro as race leader during his eight seasons.
Lidl-Trek has undergone major changes this past season, with Italian General Manager Luca Guercilena departing after 16 years of leadership back in June. Andy Schleck has since taken over as CEO, with Grischa Niermann joining as Chief Sporting Officer.
With Ciccone on the way out, Lidl-Trek's climbing core will be made up of Ayuso, Derek Gee-West, Mattias Skjelmose, and new signing Felix Gall in 2027. It also opens up a spot for more new arrivals, with Filippo Ganna being linked with a move away from Netcompany Ineos to Lidl-Trek in recent days by Ciro Scognamiglio at La Gazzetta and Daniel Benson's Substack.
If Pinarello Q36.5 is confirmed as his new team, Ciccone would instantly become a main leader alongside Pidcock, who could combine as a deadly duo in the hilly Classics, and as stage hunters or GC options in the Grand Tours.
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