Italian time trialist Filippo Ganna has officially ended eight years of partnership with Netcompany INEOS in a bombshell transfer to Lidl-Trek.
One of the key star riders of INEOS, Ganna made a name for himself as a sprinter and time trialist, having won the World Championship titles for Individual Time Trials in 2020 and 2021 and an Olympic gold medal in Track cycling.
He dominated stages in the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España and even cruised to victory at the Dwars door Vlaanderen just this year.
But it seems Ganna wants to open a new chapter in his career, banking on the sprint specialties of Lidl-Trek, who houses some of cycling’s grand sprinters like Jonathan Milan and Mads Pedersen.
Ganna looks forward to new adventure with Lidl-Trek
Ganna will race for Lidl-Trek starting in 2027 under a three-year contract.
Rumours of his transfer had been swirling around for months, but the deal was only made official this week
“I am super proud to join and I really can’t wait for the first training camp and to start the season in the best way possible,” Ganna said in a press release from Lidl-Trek.
“After eight years with my current team, opening a new chapter is super nice and I feel great motivation for the season.”
Ganna is particularly targeting the Classics, an endeavour he hopes to achieve with his new team, alongside turning Grand Tour ambitions into reality.
Lidl-Trek wins some, loses some
Lidl-Trek chief executive officer Andy Schleck dubbed Ganna an “exceptional talent,” citing his ability to be consistent at the highest level with his power, experience and versatility.
“We believe Filippo still has a lot to achieve in his career, and we want to give him the environment and support to continue pushing his limits,” Schleck said.
Lidl-Trek had already announced the signings of several star riders before Ganna, including Felix Gall, Gregor Mühlberger, Jordan Jegat, Jordi Meeus, Igor Arrieta and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney in a bid to strengthen the team.
But it also lost one of their key leaders in Giulio Ciccone, who announced his premature departure from the team to join Pinarello – Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team under a three-year deal just last week.
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Two more riders leave INEOS squad
However, Ganna is not the only one leaving INEOS.
Australian sprinter Sam Welsford announced earlier this month he would come “home” to Jayco AlUla, breaking his supposed two-year contract with INEOS.
He is set to ride for two years under the Australian team from 2027.
Welsford, however, is no ordinary rider, with 13 professional victories under his belt, of which seven were from the Tour Down Under.
This is on top of his Olympic gold medal in Track cycling as part of the Team Pursuit in Paris.
“After five years racing at the highest level, it feels like the right time to come home and be part of an Australian team with such a strong history in the sport,” Welsford said in a statement.
“I’m looking forward to bringing my experience, continuing to develop and, most importantly, racing for something that feels very close to home.”
Moreover, Magnus Sheffield will leave INEOS for Uno-X Mobility, who is also considered one of the team’s major all-rounders.
He won a stage in the 2025 Paris-Nice and finished overall fourth in a performance that showed versatile skill and talent on the road.
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What’s next for INEOS?
Ganna, Welsford, and Sheffield were among the British team’s core riders, and their departure has triggered questions about what’s next for INEOS.
The answer? It seems like the team is looking ahead to the future.
Teenage Spanish sensation Benjamin Noval will be making his WorldTour debut next year wearing the colours of INEOS after a successful run in both the World and European junior championships this year.
Noval dominated the field to secure the junior TT and road race titles of the Montreal Worlds and went home with the European junior TT victory just a week later, cementing his status as one of the most exciting prospects in cycling.
This is on top of other confirmed signings, such as Harold Tejada and Markel Beloki, who look to bolster the team’s climbing squad.
And on Wednesday, INEOS announced Joe Blackmore, James Shaw and Clement Champoussin in what is hoped to be a boost for a team still aiming to become one of the sport’s super teams.
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