MotoGP pro and wannabe pro cyclist Aleix Espargaro of Spain confirmed he is no longer pursuing a career in cycling with the Lidl-Trek WorldTour team, instead returning to the motorcycle world as a test rider for Honda.

At the beginning of 2025 Lidl-Trek unexpectedly signed the 36 year-old Espargaro, who previously only raced at an amateur level, and debuted the celebrity on a trial basis at the Tour of Austria in July.

But his pro road cycling career was short lived, lasting only two days of racing.

He crashed on Stage 2 of the Tour of Austria breaking a bone in his hand and withdrew. On a training ride several weeks later he crashed again, fractured two vertebrae and ending any opportunity to ride – bike or motorcycle – in the near future.

The crashes were pivotal moments for Espargaro, with Honda informing him he could not be both a MotoGP rider and a pro cyclist.

He had to pick one.

“I thought I could be in both worlds, and that’s not the case,” he said.

The Spaniard will now solely focus on helping Honda develop its 2026 and 2027 MotoGP racing machines.

Although, he has yet to return his Lidl-Trek team bike or kit and plans to join the team for a few rides in 2026…

Photo Credit: Aleix Espargaro

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