One of the more interesting amateur stories to follow in 2025 is the signing of MotoGP superstar Alex Espargaro by the Lidl-Trek WorldTour team.

Besides being one of the best MotoGP racers in the world, the Spaniard also has a passion for bike racing, often placing well in amateur races with dreams of racing professionally.

While many have dismissed the signing of Espargar as a simple marketing gimic by Lidl-Trek to improve the team’s visibility, general manager Luca Guercilena thinks the 35-year-old could race for the team in gravel events.

“So we have thought of trying gravel races, even in the maximum circuit of the UCI, mountain biking and maybe seeing him involved in some long-distance test, then we’ll see how it goes,” Guercilena told Bici.Pro.

Adding, “He wants to try and we agree. We wanted to give him freedom of choice. Among other things, he has already run some deep-distance tests on the road and with very good results. I think that in gravel he can do it very well, also because the excitement of the [UCI Gravel World Series] circuit can give him new motivation.”

Photo Credit: MotoGP, Lidl-Trek

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