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Ciccone leaves Lidl-Trek for Pinarello-Q36.5 on a 3-year deal
Giulio Ciccone has signed with Pinarello-Q36.5 on a three-year deal from 2027, ending eight years at Lidl-Trek. Lidl-Trek announced the exit on the eve of Il Lombardia, and Ciccone was on the podium the next day, one of two riders who could briefly follow Paul Seixas. He left a contract that ran to 2029, and in his own words it was a decision he genuinely wanted to make.
What this means
Pinarello-Q36.5, a ProTeam with a stated goal of stepping up to the WorldTour, now has Ciccone and Tom Pidcock on the same roster for 2027. Lidl-Trek goes into 2027 without a rider who finished on the Il Lombardia podium in his final race for the team.
Ciccone's own explanation is short: «After eight years with the same team, this is a big decision, but one I genuinely wanted to make. I feel I still have a lot to give, and I needed a new challenge, fresh motivation and an environment where I could feel at home.» Lidl-Trek's two-sentence statement gave little insight into why a contract to 2029 ended early. The exit came during a 2027 spending spree at Lidl-Trek, which signed Felix Gall, Gregor Mühlberger and Jordan Jegat and reshuffled its management. Patrick Lefevere wrote in Het Nieuwsblad that it «feels like stacking names without real sporting logic.» Ciccone is 31, won Clásica San Sebastián in 2025, was second at Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2025 and third at Il Lombardia 2024. Pinarello-Q36.5 gets him alongside Tom Pidcock as its 11th new signing for 2027.
Sources
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