Albert Philipsen has just signed a contract with the Lidl-Trek team. The Danish cyclist received proposals from several teams, but in the end, he chose the United States-based Lidl-Trek. His WorldTour debut is scheduled for 2025, and in the coming year, he will compete for the Tscherning Cycling Academy.
Incredible Palmares at 17
Philipsen, at 17, had a particularly successful season. In his first year in the junior category, the athlete became the World Road Race Champion, European Road Race Champion, and European and World Mountain Bike Champion.
He is also the Danish Road and Time Trial Champion. Several WorldTour teams were interested in Philipsen, including INEOS Grenadiers, Lidl-Trek, BORA-hansgrohe, UAE Team Emirates, Alpecin-Deceuninck, and Jumbo-Visma.
Philipsen will focus on the road without giving up Mountain Bike.
“For me, Lidl-Trek was simply the best option,” says Philipsen. “I wanted to choose the team that could best help me in my development as a cyclist. I could feel from the beginning the enthusiasm and passion of the team’s people, while at the same time, I focused on not rushing the process and not putting too much pressure on my shoulders.”
“With my multidisciplinary approach, it was also important for me to find a team that could provide support not only on the road but also in Mountain Bike.”
Philipsen, who signs a three-year contract, indicates that the road will be his main focus. “I still have to work on a number of things. I’m also still figuring out which competitions I’ll focus on in the future. Right now, I’m a bit in-between as a rider type, so I hope to become the best versatile cyclist in the world.”
Check out the fun announcement from Lidl-Trek: