Trek Segafredo team manager Luca Guercilena will participate in the Trofeo Liguria in Italy on Wednesday, seven months after stepping down from coaching the US-registered men's and women's teams to treat lymphoma.

The 48-year-old Italian told La Gazzetta dello Sport (opens in new tab) that he underwent nine cycles of immunotherapy and chemotherapy to fight cancer in his neck and abdomen.

"I was scared at first because I didn't know what difficulties I was going to face. I was in pain and waiting for a full diagnosis.

"When treatment and my future became clear, I began to feel like the glass was half full. The effects of the treatment were immediate and boosted my morale; by mid-November, the lump was much smaller. Since then, I have continued with three more cycles of treatment."

"I have more checkups in mid-March, but after Raigelia I hope to be back for the first stages of Strade Bianche and Tirreno Adriatico. It will be great to get back to racing. I can now work remotely, but our life is spent on the road, and that's cycling."

Guercilena became a team manager after achieving great results as a high performance coach, first with Mapei and then with other teams including Quick Step and RadioShack.

He has worked with the Trek men's team since its inception in 2011 and was named manager of the women's team in 2019.

The news that Guercilena would be taking time off for medical treatment sparked a storm of support from the sporting community, with fellow team managers, teams, and many athletes offering him words of encouragement on social media. The Trek Segafredo team launched a support campaign called "Forza Luca." The team said it boosted his morale as he battled lymphoma.

"It was very emotional. I got messages of support from all over the world, and it was a morale booster. I realized that I have worked hard and that people care about me."

Guercilena was moved by Trek-Segafredo Director Sportif Jaroslav Popovic's appeal to help his Ukrainian compatriots after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and said the team was ready to help him in collecting aid supplies to send to Ukraine. He said that his team was ready to help him.

"We are in touch every day," Guercilena revealed. Everyone's personal decisions must be respected, and the human aspect is far more important than anything work-related. We are ready to help him in any way we can."