Just five months ago Albert Philipson, 18, was racing in amateur junior events for Tscherning Cycling Academy in Copehagen Denmark, on Tuesday the teen made his WorldTour pro debut at the Tour Down Under (TDU) in Australia for Trek-Lidl.

Considered by many as “the next Jonas Vingegaard”, the 2023 UCI Junior MTB and Road World Champion skipped over racing in the U23 ranks and moved directly to the WorldTour without hesitation.

In fact, Lidl-Trek was so impressed with Philipsen they offered him a 4 year pro contract – through 2028.

At a pre-race TDU press conference the calm teenager showed nothing but confidence, “I don’t feel like I have anything to prove. I hope to get some good experiences and ride a good bike race down here. I want to sit back with a feeling of satisfaction when the race is done,” he said.

When asked what pro rider he wants be like, Philipsen paused for a moment before replying, “I don’t like comparing myself to other riders. I just want to be Albert Philipsen.”

On Tuesday Philipsen finished 44th “in the bunch” during his first WorldTour outing – Stage 1 Tour Down Under.

Photo Credit: Tscherning Cycling Academy

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