“Blood was dripping down my face” - Lidl-Trek teenager Albert Philipsen reveals horror 80km/h training crash

Albert Withen Philipsen has revealed the frightening details of a high-speed training crash that left the Lidl-Trek rider bloodied, shaken and facing a spell of recovery away from racing.

The 19-year-old Dane, one of the most highly rated young riders in the peloton, shared the aftermath of the accident on Instagram after crashing while descending at around 80km/h last Friday. Philipsen, who made his WorldTour debut with Lidl-Trek in 2025 after a glittering junior career across road and mountain bike, admitted the incident had left him genuinely scared.

“Sometimes shit happens, and the last few days have been pretty rough…” Philipsen wrote on Instagram. “I had a nasty training crash on Friday. I don’t remember much – one minute I was descending at 80kmh and the next thing I remember was lying on the ground – alone, half conscious, trying to use the small window of adrenaline to call the emergency services while blood was dripping down my face.”

For a rider whose reputation has been built partly on his technical ability, the description was a stark reminder of how quickly a normal training ride can turn dangerous. Philipsen did not give full details of the cause of the crash, but his account made clear the seriousness of the impact and the isolation of the first moments afterwards. “I think this is the first time I’ve ever truly been scared after a crash. Fortunately, I was found quickly, and a group of people did an amazing job handling the situation until the ambulance arrived.”

Philipsen also thanked Andreas Grondahl Jansen, Henry Coote and the others who helped at the scene, saying they “made a huge difference”. He also expressed gratitude to Xabier Zabalo for being with him at the hospital, as well as the wider Lidl-Trek team for their support.

Despite the alarming nature of the crash, Philipsen said the outcome could have been far worse. He avoided broken bones and internal injuries, although he did suffer a heavy blow to the head and remains badly bruised. “I feel extremely lucky to be back home with no internal injuries, apart from a heavy hit to the head, and no broken bones – even though I’m still pretty banged up right now.”

The crash comes during an important phase of Philipsen’s development. A former junior road race world champion and two-time junior mountain bike world champion, he has already begun to show why Lidl-Trek moved early to secure him on a long-term deal. His 2025 campaign included victory at Paris-Roubaix Espoirs, second place behind Tadej Pogacar at Tre Valli Varesine and third at Paris-Tours, while his 2026 season had already brought another top-10 result at Amstel Gold Race.

That rise will now pause while Philipsen recovers, though the Dane still managed to end his update with a touch of humour. “You know it was a proper crash when the clinic runs out of bandages after two days. Recovery will take some time, but I’ll come back stronger.”