The 36-year-old Spaniard Aleix Espargaró, three-time race winner in the top motorbike racing class MotoGP, joined the Lidl-Trek World Team at the beginning of the year, initially as an "ambassador". Espargaró officially ended his motorbike career at the end of 2014, but continues to act as a test rider in MotoGP and will contest at least one race this season with a wildcard.
Now, however, the motorbike racer is set to take part in his first professional cycling race in Austria. At the Tour of Austria, which starts tomorrow, Aleix will start as part of Lidl-Trek Future Racing, the team's development team, and riders from the World Tour squad at the Tour of Austria. He will also be team-mates with Tour de France stage winner Patrick Konrad, who is regarded as a great hope for a red-white-red overall victory in the Tour of Austria.
Aleix has been part of the Lidl-Trek family since December 2024. He has taken part in training camps with the team and benefited from the coaching of Lidl-Trek's performance staff. Born in Catalonia, he is ready for the next step in his sporting career and wants to prove himself in the challenging stage race in Austria. "I'm very happy with how this year has gone. It has completely changed my life and everything I've done so far," said Espargaró.
Successes in the MotoGP
Espargaró's international career as a motorbike racer began in 2004, having previously won the Spanish Championship in the up to 125 cm class as the youngest rider to do so. After alternating engagements in the 125cc and 250cc displacement classes, he contested two races in MotoGP as a substitute rider, which earned him a contract with Team Pramac Racing for 2010. Espargaró recorded his first of three MotoGP victories to date in 2022. His younger brother Pol (34) is also a motorbike racer.
From racing bike to racing motorbike
"It's fantastic to be part of a team as big as Lidl-Trek. I've developed tremendously as a cyclist and learnt a lot in these six months," says Espargaró. "I'm feeling good and can't wait to race and test my legs against some of the best cyclists in the world. I will have a strong team around me to teach me the basics." It will also be interesting to see how well the thoroughbred racer will manage the transition between the worlds and the extremely different racing machines. Espargaró himself says: "It will also be cool, because in the week before the race in Austria, I will be competing in the MotoGP in Holland with a wildcard. The Tour of Austria will be a nice challenge, but I have no expectations for my cycling debut. I will try to learn as much as possible, help my team-mates and, above all, enjoy the suffering!"
