Lidl-Trek have won the battle for one of the most promising young male riders in the world, Albert Withen Philipsen, with the Dane joining the squad in 2025 after completing his final year as a junior.
The 17-year-old is junior world champion in both the road race and XCO mountain bike, and as a result was being chased by at least ten WorldTour teams, which supposedly included Jumbo-Visma, Ineos Grenadiers and UAE Team Emirates, according to reports.
However, Lidl-Trek were successful in securing the sought-after junior, who will remain with his current junior team, Tscherning Cycling Academy, whilst he will be supported by Trek in off-road disciplines from 1 January. He will race and train on Trek bikes, and has signed a four-year contract.
Philipsen is also European champion in the individual time trial and XCO MTB, showing the breadth of his talents. It was his performances in Glasgow that caught the eye however, as he won the junior road race by 1-19 over his nearest competitor, a solo win that echoed Remco Evenepoel's at Innsbruck in 2018.
Lidl-Trek have a sister MTB team, Trek Factory Racing, which surely helped secure his signature, as well as new investment thanks to Lidl coming on board as partners. The fact that other Danes already ride for the team also likely helped. The road team have also launched a development squad for next year, which includes three more Danes.
"The important thing for us is not how big the money is, but that the team is the right project for Albert," his agent, Alex Carera, said earlier this year.
“For me Lidl-Trek was just the best match," Philipsen said in the Lidl-Trek press release. "My most important criteria when I had to choose my upcoming team, was to find the one that could best help me develop as a rider.
"I could really feel from the start how enthusiastic and passionate the people working in the team were, while still focused on not rushing the process and not putting too much pressure on my shoulders.
"With my multi-discipline approach it was also important for me to find a team that not only had the best setup on the road, but also on the MTB and cyclocross, and I really feel that Lidl-Trek does that."
While he is a multi-discipline star, his focus in the future is likely to be road.
“I’m really looking forward to getting to know everyone on the team," he continued. "As a Dane I’m particularly excited to join Mads Pedersen and Mattias Skjelmose. In the next few years my plan is to continue to mix the different disciplines, but primarily focus on the road.
"I want to keep focusing on the process, and work on some of my weak points. For me that will be my general experience and tactical skills. I’m still trying to figure out which races I will focus on in the future. Right now I’m a bit ‘in between’ as a rider type, so I hope to become the best all-rounder in the world.”
Lidl-Trek's boss, Luca Guercilena, was full of praise for his team's recruitment staff for getting the contract over the line, especially in such a battle for Philipsen.
“Attracting Albert to join Lidl-Trek when so many teams were chasing his signature is a testament to the structure we have built here," he said. "A special thanks must go to Markel Irizar [talent scout] and Josu Larrazabal [Head of Performance], whose passion for working with young riders has made Lidl-Trek a great prospect for developing the very best talent.
“Our approach with Albert remains the same as it is with all young riders: to give him all the support we can whilst we let him develop naturally, not to rush him. When he joins the team, we plan to set Albert a calendar that incorporates his various disciplines, but with a focus on road racing.
"On the road he will split his time between racing with our development team and the WorldTour team to ensure a balanced progression. Personally, I can’t wait to see Albert put on the Lidl-Trek jersey and begin his professional career with us!”
