He shares the same last name as Jasper Philipsen and the same agent as Tadej Pogacar: Albert Withen Philipsen is the Danish prodigy sought after by many World Tour teams, who in 2025 will be one of the young talents to watch. His results describe his skills, as he uniquely excels in different cycling disciplines.

In 2023, he was junior world champion on the road and European time trial champion, and he was mountain bike world champion twice in 2023 and 2024. The Dane also performs well in cyclocross, having worn the national champion jersey twice. He practically won everything in the junior category, and now that he's entered the professional world, he's not intimidated by more experienced riders and has already made a mark in his debut in the top category.

His debut was in Australia at the Santos Tour Down Under, where he immediately secured a fourth place in the third stage, behind Romo, Narvaez, and Fisher Black. In Adelaide, at the end of the race, he mounted the winners' podium, wearing the white jersey for best young rider.

Albert Withen Philipsen isn't yet clear about how his first year in the World Tour will unfold, but he definitely knows that Strade Bianche is one of his favorite races, which he hopes to participate in. The Ardennes Classics might be on his agenda, but his program hasn't been fully defined. For now, he's not focusing on grand tours, preferring to gain confidence in week-long stage races.

The Dane has entered the World Tour directly from the junior category without passing through a Development team, and among the many offers received, he chose to wear the Lidl-Trek jersey, which had guaranteed him a spot at the end of 2023, with the intention of proving that his ultra-complete profile can shine on all terrains.

Before the 2023 World Championships, Philipsen was close to transferring to Alpecin-Deceuninck, but after his success in Glasgow, the entire World Tour suddenly targeted him: reportedly, at least 10 teams were interested, animating the winter market. Lidl-Trek managed to sign him with a contract until 2028. The choice was influenced by the guarantee from the American team that he could also compete in mountain bike, and next winter he might return to cyclocross. After the World Championship, he had said that Tadej Pogacar was his favorite rider, but he would like to become like Van der Poel, Wout van Aert, and Tom Pidcock - men who can win in various cycling disciplines.

Albert Withen Philipsen is obviously a rider still to be discovered, and at Lidl-Trek he will undoubtedly have the opportunity to fully exploit his potential. Luca Guercilena, general manager of the American team, believes strongly in him and actively wanted him in the squad: it's not unlikely that in his first World Tour season, the Danish talent might already make his mark among more experienced riders.