Albert Philipsen will be the youngest ever Strade Bianche participant this weekend. Can he become the youngest winner too?
Cycling
With past champions such as Tadej Pogacar (2022) and Tom Pidcock (2023), who both won Strade Bianche at the age of 23, it's hard to imagine neither of them is the youngest champion of the race that dates back to 2007 when the iconic race held its first edition under the name Monte Paschi Eroica.
Yet in 2013, there was a young certain Italian on a roll - Moreno Moser, who was 22 years and 98 days old at the time of his triumph. How long will his reign last in the era of young supertalents? We'll have to wait and see to find out. Luckily for Moser's record, as long as the likes of Tadej Pogacar have a place in heart for the white roads around Sienna, we may not see a younger winner for some time...
Or maybe it could already happen this weekend?
Exactly two riders were promoted to WorldTour ranks striaght out of the junior category and they both immediately left their mark on their first appearances. Albert Philipsen impressed with a fourth place in one of the decisive stages of Tour Down Under.
The Dane is clearly not afraid of big races, and the same applies for his team who gives him an opportunity to show off the skills two-time MTB junior World champion on the gravel roads of Strade Bianche. Lidl-Trek's press officer Jacob Kennison confirmed this information to Feltet.dk, after the Dane's name appeared on the preliminary startlist last week.
According to the renowned X-profile Cycling Statistics, the 18-year-old Philipsen becomes the youngest participant in Strade Bianche's 18-year history. He beats Simone Velasco's record from 2015 by almost a full year. Back then, the Italian who now represents XDS Astana, finished outside of the time limit.
Ambitions of Philipsen are certainly greater, despite a recent crash in a Spanish MTB race. And if he doesn't win on his first attempt? No worries. After all, he'll have four more opportunties to beat Moser's record...
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- wtf dudemij07-11-2026
- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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