Tao Geoghegan Hart's first two years at Lidl-Trek haven't gone to plan, with various illnesses and injuries causing the British rider setback after setback during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
2024 and 2025 saw the British racer suffer ailments at inopportune times, including a chest infection, stomach illness, a bout of COVID-19, and a fractured rib. These have left him unable to hit his previous best levels, with his most recent victory coming at the 2023 Tour of the Alps, a month before he fractured his hip at the Giro d'Italia.
Lidl-Trek head coach Josu Larrazabal has aired a note of optimism for 2026, however, with former Giro d'Italia champion Geoghegan Hart having had a "good winter" of preparation for the upcoming season.
"Last year, Tao was once again hit by a wave of bad luck. But it was also a good investment, and it would be nice to finally get to the point. With 2026, we're entering the final chapter of his project: he had a three-year contract," Larrazabal told Bici.Pro recently.
"The first two years went badly for various reasons, but I'm optimistic. We finally managed to have a good winter. We're keeping our fingers crossed, but so far it's been ideal. He feels it too; he's happy. He's had a smooth run."
Larrazabal said that Geoghegan Hart and the team are "taking it one step at a time" in 2026, with no "rigid programme" in terms of races yet laid out for the 30-year-old.
Following a team training camp this month, Geoghegan Hart will make his season debut at February's Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, but the rest of the season is still up in the air. A return to the Giro isn't out of the question, however.
"The goal is to get him off to a good start in February, get him in the right position, and then decide whether to do the Tirreno-Adriatico or the Volta a Catalunya," Larrazabal said.
"This year, we're talking about the Giro with Tao. But be careful: a rider like him, to start a race like the Giro, needs to be in certain conditions. He can't just go there for the sake of it. It's a race he's won. To be there, he must first rediscover himself, the confidence and stability he's lacked in recent years."
Winter testing has "yielded good results", Larrazabal said, though the real test would come with the new racing season. There are positive signs for Geoghegan Hart should he manage to avoid the bad luck that has plagued him in recent years.
2026 will be a case of 'wait and see' for him, certainly regarding any talk of a return to the Tour de France. Lidl-Trek will be looking to put the strongest team possible behind Mattias Skjelmose and new signing Juan Ayuso, a team which could theoretically include Geoghegan Hart.
"There's no point in talking about [the Tour] now," Larrazabal said, however.
"Let's remember where we come from. It's a conversation I had with him, too. We don't even know if we'll make the Giro, because we have to take several steps first. The priority is health, then continuity.
"Let me give you an example: last year, Tao had an excellent result in the Tour of Slovenia. Everything seemed fine, but a few days later, we weren't able to repeat those performances at the Tour de Suisse. That's why I say we need continuity, health, data, and confidence.:
