"Hard to know what Strade Bianche is really like until you've done it yourself" - 18-year-old Albert Philipsen makes history on the Tuscan gravel

At just 18 years of age, Lidl-Trek's Danish prodigy Albert Philipsen made history on Saturday afternoon by becoming the youngest rider to ever take part at Strade Bianche. Philipsen did more than just take part too, admirably crossing the line in 25th, 'only' six minutes down on the world champion Tadej Pogacar.

"The race started really well with me getting into a solid breakaway. Unfortunately I got two punctures and a dropped chain, which meant I lost contact with the front group," reflected the neo-pro to Lidl-Trek in a post-race interview after the drama of the day had subsided slightly. "After joining the main peloton, one of our captains (Tom Skujiņs) got a puncture and I swapped bikes with him. This resulted in a long chase to catch up with the other big group just before Sante Maria. From there it was a long battle all the way to the finish."

But get himself back into the mix with the chase Philipsen did, helping the aforementioned Skujins to finish 12th on the day. Having now made history as the youngest rider to ever complete Strade Bianche, Philipsen admits the sheer brutality of the iconic race isn't truly shown through the TV screens.

"I think it's hard to know what Strade is really like until you've done it yourself. I went into the race knowing it would be tough and hectic, but I have to say it's something I've never experienced before," he assesses honestly, before he's then asked if it was all worth it. "The short answer is yes! I really enjoyed the race. Even though it was definitely the hardest day I've ever had on the bike."

"First of all, I'm really happy to have just been able to finish the race. It was a brutal day on the white roads with a lot of mixed emotions," the teenager concludes. "I'm proud of how I ran the race and I'm excited to see what I can achieve in this race in the future."