Ganna and Niewiadoma Join Lidl-Trek as INEOS Reshapes Its Cycling Squad

Filippo Ganna’s move to Lidl-Trek and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney’s arrival give the team two headline signings as it builds toward 2027. At the same time, Netcompany INEOS has shed 16 riders this fall, more than half its squad. The contrast points to a transfer season shaped by ambitious recruitment on one side and a broad rebuild on the other.

Lidl-Trek adds proven winners

Ganna has signed a three-year contract with Lidl-Trek, ending an eight-year spell with INEOS. The Italian is known for his speed, and his arrival adds a major name to a team that has already recruited Igor Arrieta from UAE Team Emirates–XRG, Jordan Jegat from TotalEnergies, and Felix Gall and Gregor Mühlberger from Decathlon CMA CGM, among others.

“I am really looking forward to next year with such a big team like Lidl-Trek,” Ganna said in a team statement. He said that leaving after eight years brought fresh motivation and that he was eager to meet his new teammates at training camp and begin the season.

The women’s squad also lands a major addition in Niewiadoma-Phinney, winner of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes. She described trust in the team’s plan as a factor in her decision, saying the partnership could aim for “the highest dreams.” Her results this year included one victory and 10 podium finishes. That record suggests a rider who remains consistently in contention, even as she looks for another step after finishing behind Demi Vollering in recent battles.

For a team investing across its squads, these signings bring different kinds of value: Ganna adds speed, while Niewiadoma-Phinney brings a Grand Tour title and a strong run of podiums. The wider test will be how the new arrivals fit together and whether recruitment can translate into results across a full season.

INEOS faces a substantial rebuild

Netcompany INEOS has lost 16 riders through retirement, expiring contracts or contract breaks. Departures include Ganna, Andrew August, Axel Laurance, Magnus Sheffield, Ben Turner and Sam Watson. Several riders had yet to find new teams when the source reported the moves, lending the clear-out a hurried feel. The squad’s next round of signings will show whether this is a planned reshaping or a difficult effort to replace a large share of its roster.

INEOS has brought in climbers Harold Tejada from XDS Astana and Markel Beloki from EF Education–EasyPost. It has also signed 18-year-old Spaniard Benjamín Noval from its academy. Noval won the junior world road race and time trial titles this year, as well as the European time trial championship; he placed 12th in the junior world road race.

Noval’s results make him a notable prospect, but his signing doesn’t by itself settle the question of how the team will replace Ganna’s experience or fill out its squad. Netcompany INEOS had 16 riders listed at the time of the source article. It also lacks a clear Grand Tour challenger. Oscar Onley remains a promising option, though the source judges that his limits have shown. A possible move for Paul Seixas is raised as speculation, not a confirmed deal.

Both teams still have questions to answer

Lidl-Trek has also lost riders, with Giulio Ciccone the most prominent departure. He is joining Tom Pidcock’s Pinarello Q36.5 after finishing third at Il Lombardia. Ciccone said he wanted a fresh challenge after eight years with the same team and believed he still had more to give. His season featured one win and 11 podiums, including second place behind Remco Evenepoel in the European road race championship. A photo finish separated them by about 1.25 centimetres.

That result captures both Ciccone’s level and the fine margins that can separate a podium from a victory. His move gives Pinarello Q36.5 a rider with recent experience in demanding races, while Lidl-Trek loses a strong option for the mountains. The team still has Ciccone’s former rivals Juan Ayuso, Gall and Mattias Skjelmose among four riders the source identifies as capable of reaching a Grand Tour podium, but not yet as likely winners. Ayuso, signed last year, has not met the expectations described in the source.

Lidl-Trek recorded 30 victories this year; Netcompany INEOS had 36. Those totals show that both squads have been successful, even as each adjusts its roster. The current transfer moves appear aimed at strengthening their position for 2027, but the next signings and the roles assigned to new riders will matter as much as the names already announced. Lidl-Trek’s recruitment has added depth and high-profile talent; INEOS now has to turn its extensive turnover into a complete, competitive team.