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Lidl-Trek has named Scottish rider Kate Richardson to its first Future Racing Women squad, a 10-rider development team intended to prepare young athletes for professional cycling. Richardson, 24, joins after winning the Tour of the Reservoir and earning European team pursuit gold; the team has not provided further details here about the squad’s race schedule or programme.
Scottish rider Kate Richardson has been named to Lidl-Trek’s inaugural Future Racing Women squad, a 10-rider development team designed to build a pathway towards professional cycling. The 24-year-old joins nine riders from seven other nations, with team manager Frank Schleck saying the programme will give young athletes time and support to develop before stepping up to the WorldTour.
Richardson rode for British UCI Continental team Handsling Alba Development Road Team in 2026, according to Cycling Weekly. Her recent results include winning the Tour of the Reservoir, part of British Cycling’s National Road Series, and the 2025 Tour de Feminin in Czechia. She is also a former British national circuit champion and a reigning European champion in the team pursuit on the track.
The other squad members are Chantal Pegolo and Matilda Rossignoli of Italy; Austrians Tabea Huys and Liv Wenzel; Spain’s Ane Zubeldia; Denmark’s Olympia Norris-Mortensen; Germany’s Messane Bräutigam; and Americans Katherine Sarkisov and Ella Sabo. Together with Richardson, they represent eight nations.
Schleck said Lidl-Trek selected riders not only for results, but also for their potential, attitude and willingness to learn. The team intends to support athletes across disciplines and prepare them for the demands of professional cycling, both on and off the bike. The announcement presents the squad as a development pathway; it does not say that membership guarantees a place on the WorldTour team.
A New Route to the WorldTour
The squad creates a dedicated development structure for Lidl-Trek’s women, extending the organisation’s investment beyond its established Women’s WorldTour team. For riders such as Richardson, it offers a team setting in which to build experience and skills before facing the demands of the sport’s top level. Schleck described the step up to the WorldTour as increasingly demanding and said the team wanted riders to be able to learn without immediate pressure to produce results.
The programme also signals that the team sees development as broader than race wins. Schleck said progress would include riders gaining confidence, taking responsibility and eventually earning a WorldTour place. Those are the team’s stated aims, rather than outcomes that have already been achieved. For Scottish cycling, Richardson’s selection puts a rider with both road and track credentials in the squad’s first intake.
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Lidl-Trek’s Development Plans
Lidl-Trek had previously integrated development riders into its women’s WorldTour team, Cycling Weekly reported. Among the most prominent were Canadian twins Ava and Isabella Holmgren; Isabella finished eighth overall at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in what the report described as a standout season. The new women’s squad mirrors an existing men’s Future Racing team, which included British riders Harry Hudson and Seb Grindley during the reported season.
Richardson’s path has included teams Lifeplus Wahoo and Hess before Handsling Alba Development Road Team. Her wins across road and track reflect the multiple disciplines Schleck said the team wants to support. Lidl-Trek’s women’s WorldTour team had also signed four riders for 2027 at the time of the report, including former Tour winner Kasia Niewiadoma. That signing information is separate from the Future Racing squad announcement.
Squad Schedule and Progression
The report does not give the squad’s race calendar, staffing, training arrangements or programme duration. It also does not state whether riders will race alongside the WorldTour team or how progression between the development squad and that roster will be decided. Schleck outlined the team’s goals, but no specific targets or timelines for WorldTour promotions were announced in the source material.
The report identifies Richardson as part of the 2026 Handsling Alba Development Road Team and describes her as a reigning European team pursuit champion, but it does not provide the date or competition details for that title. Further information about how the new squad will operate remains unconfirmed in the announcement as reported.
Details Needed on the Programme
The next practical details readers will need are the squad’s race schedule and how its development work will be organised. Lidl-Trek has said the goal is to prepare riders for professional cycling and create a route towards its WorldTour team, but the announcement does not set out dates or promotion criteria.
Richardson’s progress can be followed through her racing results and any further team updates. For now, her selection confirms a place in the inaugural 10-rider squad, not a future WorldTour contract. The source report gives no date for a further announcement or for the squad’s first race.
Key Questions
Who is Kate Richardson?
Kate Richardson is a 24-year-old Scottish cyclist who has raced on the road and track. Cycling Weekly reports that she won the Tour of the Reservoir in 2026 and the Tour de Feminin in 2025, and is a former British national circuit champion.
What is Lidl-Trek Future Racing Women?
It is Lidl-Trek’s new 10-rider women’s development squad. Team manager Frank Schleck said it is intended to give young riders support and experience as they prepare for the demands of professional cycling.
Does joining the squad guarantee a WorldTour place?
No such guarantee was announced. Schleck described the squad as a pathway towards the WorldTour, with the aim of preparing riders to earn a place, but the report gives no automatic promotion arrangement or timeline.
Who else is in the squad?
The other riders are Chantal Pegolo, Matilda Rossignoli, Tabea Huys, Liv Wenzel, Ane Zubeldia, Olympia Norris-Mortensen, Messane Bräutigam, Katherine Sarkisov and Ella Sabo. They come from seven nations besides Scotland.
When will the team begin racing?
The source report does not provide a first-race date or calendar. Lidl-Trek’s schedule and operating details for the new squad remain unreported.
Source: cyclingweekly.com
