Visma-Lease a Bike head of racing Grischa Niermann set to leave team for Lidl-Trek – reports

Grischa Niermann, the head of racing at Visma-Lease a Bike, is reportedly set to leave the Dutch outfit to join Lidl-Trek, signalling a major managerial shift in professional cycling. Niermann would replace Luca Guercilena, the long-serving general manager at Lidl-Trek, who has been instrumental in developing the team since its inception as Leopard Trek in 2011. The news, first reported by Daniel Benson and corroborated by Dutch and Belgian media, comes less than a year after Niermann took over the managerial role at Visma following Merijn Zeeman’s departure. Niermann’s tenure at Visma has been marked by considerable success, having contributed to the team’s recent dominance in Grand Tours, including back-to-back Giro d’Italia victories with Jonas Vingegaard. His extensive experience spans over a decade with the team in various capacities, including directeur sportif and head coach, and he has played a key role in guiding riders such as Wout van Aert, Primož Roglič, Simon Yates, and Sepp Kuss to multiple Grand Tour wins. With his move to Lidl-Trek, the German will bring a wealth of tactical expertise to a team undergoing significant transformation, including a change of licence from the United States to Germany for the 2026 season. The managerial reshuffle at Lidl-Trek follows a period of upheaval since Lidl took majority ownership last year, leading to several changes in the team’s leadership structure. Andy Schleck is expected to become CEO, while other key appointments include Fränk Schleck heading the women’s team and Bernie Eisel stepping up as head of racing. The departure of Guercilena marks the end of an era for the Italian, who has overseen the team’s rise to the top tier of men’s, women’s, and development cycling squads. Visma-Lease a Bike is anticipated to promote from within to fill Niermann’s vacancy, with directeur sportif Marc Reef poised to step into the management role. Reef has been part of Visma’s performance team since 2022 and brings experience from his previous tenure at DSM. Both teams have yet to officially confirm the reported changes, and spokespeople declined to comment on the speculation at the time of publication. The potential move underscores the dynamic nature of team management in WorldTour cycling and the ongoing jockeying for leadership among the sport’s elite outfits.