“It is still difficult for me to estimate where I stand in the pecking order” - Albert Philipsen in good form ahead of World Championships

The Junior World Road Race Champion Albert Philipsen has been gradually dipping his foot into cyclocross this season and has been showing that his abilities extend beyond road racing. He had already won three cyclocross races in his home nation of Denmark this season, including the Junior National Championships, but last weekend he won his first race in Belgium at the Flandriencross in Hamme.

Going into the Cyclocross World Championships this weekend, Philipsen will be hoping to add another world title to put alongside his road race victory from Glasgow in August. At last year’s race the Dane finished eighth, but has failed to make an impression in the three UCI World Cup races that he has participated in this season, with his best result being 13th place in Hoogerheide.

In an interview with WielerFlits in Hamme, Philipsen stated that “in the World Cups I not only struggled with the technical aspect, but because I cross so little, my starting position is abysmal. I barely have any UCI points and it makes a big difference in cyclocross whether you start on the first or fifth row. Then it was easier in Hamme. Heading into next week's World Cup in Tábor, it is still difficult for me to estimate where I stand in the pecking order”.

Having already signed a contract with Lidl-Trek for next season, Philipsen is set to make his WorldTour debut in 2025, adding to the team’s Danish contingent of Mads Pedersen and Mattias Skjelmose. On why he chose to sign for the American outfit, Philipsen said “I found the right balance between a focus on performance and a family feeling. The latter was a very important one for me, and that is also what I felt at training camp last week”.