Aleix Espargaró enters professional cycling

There is no age limit to change career paths and start a new career, even for a high-level athlete. According to several Spanish media, including AS, Aleix Espargaró, recently retired from Moto GP, will soon become a professional cyclist by signing up with the Lidl-Trek development team.

This is not the first time that Aleix Espargaró's possible move to professional cycling has been mentioned. As he revealed to the media Relevo, the Catalan, a great cycling enthusiast, almost signed with the Movistar team in 2021 before extending with Aprilia. This time it seems to be the right one, and the native of Granollers (Spain) does not hide his training outings in recent weeks, notably with his friend and compatriot Carlos Verona, who rides for the Lidl-Trek first team.

The American team sponsored by the German supermarket chain belongs to the World Tour, the equivalent of the first division of professional cycling. Due to its status, it participates in the biggest international events on the calendar, including Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de France. However, it is unlikely that Aleix Espargaró will be at the start of the Grande Boucle on July 5 in Lille. It is not yet official (the announcement should come soon according to AS), but the Spaniard would not be part of the main squad of the Lidl-Trek. In any case, it is already made up of 30 riders for 2025, which is the maximum limit imposed by the International Cycling Union (UCI).

It would be surprising for a team like Lidl-Trek to launch a 35-year-old novice at the highest level of professional cycling. That is why the Catalan would start with the Lidl-Trek Future Racing team, the development team that competes at the continental level, where he would be by far the oldest (Martin Pedersen, the oldest member of the squad currently confirmed for 2025, is 26). This would allow Espargaró to test himself and gain experience before perhaps imagining moving on to races of a completely different calibre. In any case, this is a great challenge that the Spaniard is taking on.

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