Aurélien Canot, Media365, published on Monday December 16, 2024 at 2:30 p.m.
Having just retired from the MotoGP circuit, Aleix Espargaro (35 years old) has been appointed new ambassador for the Lidl-Trek cycling team. Originally, there was even talk of the young retired pilot being part of the American team's reserve team.
Aleix Espargaro (35 years old), from motorcycles to… cycling. The Spanish rider has just turned his back on MotoGP circuits. We will find him again on two wheels, but now on a bicycle saddle. In this case that of the Lidl-Trek team, which Espargaro will officially join in January 2025. Not as a rider on the reserve team of the American team, as was once the case, according to the Spanish press, but as ambassador. The Catalan, winner of three Grands Prix in the premier category during his twenty years spent on motorcycles, whether in 125cm3, 250cm3 or therefore in MotoGP, under the colors of Honda, Aprilla, Ducati, Kalex, Yamaha and Suzuki, his last handlebar, has always been a lover of cycling, a sport that he already practiced regularly on the sidelines of his racing career and which he really discovered after injuring his back. “I had to give up running and turned to cycling for recovery and training.” The new challenge that awaits the man who lives in Andorra, where he devotes himself to his other passion, therefore delights him to the highest degree, according to his declarations in the press release from his new employer. “I'm thrilled to join the Lidl-Trek family, home to some of the best cyclists in the world. I'm excited to learn from some of the sport's best cyclists and staff, push my limits and share this special journey with the fans (…) Over time it became more than just preparation, it became my passion Living in Andorra, I made friends with many professional cyclists, that's what. inspired me to train at a level superior.” And to leave MotoGP.
Espargaro: “I decided to move away from MotoGP earlier than planned to join a program that fits my passion so well”
To hear him say, it was in fact to be able to embrace this new career within the peloton that Espargaro put an end to a career that he could very well have continued. “I have decided to step away from MotoGP earlier than planned to join a program that fits my passion so well. I am deeply grateful to Lidl-Trek for welcoming me into their family and supporting me. I will give everything I have,” assures the new ambassador of the American team, whom general manager Luca Guercilena is delighted to welcome among his ranks. If only for everything he can bring to his runners. “Working with Aleix will be incredibly rewarding for us, and especially for our young riders. We know he is a strong and passionate cyclist, but he also brings different experiences and perspectives to the team. He can help our young athletes to understand and manage the pressures that come with high-level competition.” And who knows: maybe Mads Pedersen, Tao Geoghegan Hart and Mattias Skjelmose, three of the team's strong men, could take advantage of this reinforcement to take a step forward too.
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