The inside story: Why Albert Withen Philipsen, a World Championship favorite, picked Lidl-Trek (and the role Pedersen played)

Albert Withen Philipsen, so much has already been said and written about him, and yet he is only seventeen years old. Following his transfer to Lidl-Trek this winter, the spotlight remains firmly on the highly talented Danish cyclist. Excelling in three disciplines as a junior and aspiring to become the world champion in cyclo-cross on Sunday, Philipsen will have time to mature at his new team.

Reportedly, Philipsen had the option to sign with pretty much every team, including Visma | Lease a Bike and Alpecin-Deceuninck, but he deliberately chose Lidl-Trek. "I'm very happy with the team. They support me incredibly well, both at the training camp and in cyclo-cross. It's wonderful," he explains to IDLProCycling.com. He will join the WorldTour squad on the road only in 2025, as the American cycling team insists that Philipsen first gain more experience in the U23 category. "That's why I don't race for the cyclo-cross team Baloise Trek Lions, because I am still a junior."

Mads Pedersen believes Lidl-Trek is the right choice for Philipsen

A jack of all trades and deservedly a world champion on the road and in mountain biking. He enjoys cyclo-cross as an additional discipline, however, the focus for the winter of 2024/2025 will largely be on his shift to the WorldTour. He also aims to compete in mountain biking at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Mads Pedersen approves of his decision. "It's the right choice because here at Lidl-Trek we have everything: a WorldTour team, a development team, a cyclo-cross team, mountain biking… He's only seventeen and has his whole life ahead of him. This team can help him perform in all disciplines."

Pedersen and Mattias Skjelmose, two Danish powerhouses, are there to guide Philipsen. "It's really cool to be able to race with some of your idols. They are among the best Danish riders in the world, and I really look up to them, but it's awesome. They give me great tips and tricks to improve, and for me, it was also an important factor in choosing Lidl-Trek," admits the young cyclist. "It wasn't the deciding factor, but I definitely saw it as a plus."

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Skjelmose views Philipsen as 'calm and ambitious'

"I hadn't met him before, but we ended up rooming together in December, and he's a great guy," Skjelmose remarks about another Dane joining the team. "He's calm, grounded, and definitely ambitious – a necessity at his skill level. He's far from arrogant, and I'm eager to get to know him better." Pedersen echoes this sentiment. "He lives pretty close to my hometown. We've had a few chats when he was considering Lidl-Trek. I filled him in on how things work around here. He's an exceptional talent, and I'm really pleased for both him and the team that he's joined us."

Yet there's also a bit of a generational gap, especially between the 28-year-old Pedersen and Philipsen. "I didn't really know him; he's eleven years younger. I heard about him in 2023, that he's very good. The few times I've spoken to him, he came across as intelligent. He knows what he wants, and a bright future awaits him. But he also needs time: a year in the junior category and then the big leap to the WorldTour. Is he the type like Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert? Let's hope so, though it's still early to tell. A lot can happen, but from what he's showing now, he definitely has the potential to reach that level."

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Philipsen sees himself more of a "Pidcock type" in terms of career path

As for Philipsen himself, he's not jumping to any conclusions just yet. He's still exploring where his true strengths lie. "I'm in the process of figuring that out. Right now, I'm inclined towards the classics, but I'm also open to targeting the general classification in the future. And I want to keep up with mountain biking, though not as extensively as in recent years. I'd love to aim for the 2028 Olympics – that’s one of my long-term goals. Maybe by then, my career path will resemble Tom Pidcock's more closely."