After a season that included victory at Paris-Roubaix Espoirs and a notable second behind Tadej Pogačar at Tre Valli Varesine, there was much anticipation about what 2026 would bring for Albert Withen Philipsen. However, the 19-year-old has now had to face a second derailment of his plans due to injury.
After starting the season with a series of one-day races, including the Amstel Gold Race where he came eighth, the 19-year-old rode the Tour de Romandie, where he also came eighth overall. That, however, is where the entries into the results tally so far this season came to an end for the Lidl-Trek rider.
A major training crash while tackling a descent after Romandie left the rider with a head injury, cuts, bruises and injuries to hands, right elbow and right leg. The multi-discipline rider, who sparked the interest of several key teams when he looked to make the shift up to the WorldTour at 18, had recovered and was back preparing for racing. However, his team said this week that another recovery would now be required.
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"We regret to inform that Albert was involved in a training crash on Monday," said Lidl-Trek on social media. "Hospital examinations revealed three minor fractures on the left wrist, elbow and shoulder, and Albert has since been discharged. Get well soon, Albert!"
It's a tough turn for not just the rider, but also the team, which has a number of its young riders currently facing injury challenges.
Thibaut Nys, 23, has had a lay-off this season with knee problems and was preparing for the Vuelta a España, but has been ill with toxoplasmosis. His father, Sven, told Het Nieuwsblad that Thibau had fallen ill during a training camp in July.
Nys missed entire start of the season, including the spring Classics, with a knee injury and only has seven race days, including the Tour de Suisse, to his name in 2026.
"He needed some time to recover, both mentally and physically, but things are moving in the right direction now. He is in the final days of his course of antibiotics, and he notices that he is able to complete his training sessions increasingly well and is recovering better," Sven said, before noting that a final decision on Vuelta start would be made on Friday or Saturday.
"I find it really difficult to assess. If I saw his training on Tuesday and the way he recovered from it, I would dare say there is a 90% chance that he will ride the Vuelta. But we have to see every day if he is still recovering well. One very good day in training is not enough to ride the Vuelta, because there you will have to be able to recover well day after day.”
The 18-year-old Lidl-Trek future racer Harry Hudson has also been out of action since May, with the winner of last year's junior road race title fracturing his spine in a collision with a motorbike while descending in training.
It is unclear when Philipsen will return to racing. However, the Dane, signed with Lidl-Trek through to the end of 2028, knows there is still a block of late-season one-day races ahead where he has proven he can perform.
Last year, October brought some of Philipsen's strongest results, as on top of that Tre Valli Varesine runner-up spot, there was a top 10 at Giro dell'Emilia and third at Paris-Tours.
