Coming into stage 4 of the Tour Down Under, Lidl-Trek had 5 riders within the high 18 of the final classification. Patrick Konrad, 33, was the staff’s best-placed in third, due to time bonuses taken within the breakaway on stage 2.
However, the staff’s sports activities director Kim Andersen instructed Cyclingnews that the race’s greatest younger rider Albert Philipsen – who’s simply 18 years of age and never resulting from flip 19 till September 3 – can be a protected rider heading into the queen stage to Willunga Hill.
“Patrick has the seconds however as we have now seen in coaching, Philipsen is the strongest,” Andersen instructed Cyclingnews earlier than stage 4.
It’s gorgeous {that a} rider who simply turned 18 final autumn and is just a few months out of the junior ranks could be a staff chief in his first WorldTour stage race, however Andersen felt the Tour Down Under was an ideal proving floor for his compatriot.
“This race right here is superb for a younger man, as a result of it is not lengthy distances, and there is fairly good roads, so it is not too technical,” Andersen mentioned. “He was rather well ready for this one and mentally prepared.”
He wasn’t getting forward of himself in anticipating extra from the teen down the highway, although.
“I feel this race is a bit of bit particular. It’s WorldTour nevertheless it’s the primary one, and you can’t actually evaluate it with the WorldTour races in Europe,” he mentioned. “If you put together properly, you may be on the market.”
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The leap from junior stage races just like the Course de la Paix and Ain Bugey Valromey Tour, which Philipsen gained in 2024, is principally within the high quality of the general area and the race size.
“It’s junior distance in kilometres. That will change in the case of the tougher races. I feel it was an ideal objective for him to have, and he was actually excited to come back right here,” Andersen mentioned.
Following the stage, Philipsen had come by way of a trial of fireside, surviving a break up within the peloton as different GC favourites attacked the brief however steep Nettle Hill with 21km to go.
“To be trustworthy, it was fairly unhealthy,” Philipsen mentioned. “I used to be method too far behind once we hit the underside of the climb, it break up into a couple of teams, and I wasn’t within the entrance. I actually had to spend so much of vitality to get again to the entrance of a race.”
Now 4 phases into racing in a area with a excessive stage, Philipsen is wanting ahead to the Willunga Hill end on stage 5, the place the highway tilting up for the ultimate three kilometres might play in his favour.
“I really feel like tomorrow ought to go well with me rather well. So I hope I’ve a very good day and might make a distinction.”
Making it over the climbs with the leaders when it is all kicking off wasn’t Philipsen’s solely inexperienced second. New guidelines solely permitting roadside feeds within the designated feed zones might have meant he needed to journey by way of the convoy for water.
Andersen defined that the previous junior world champion wasn’t conversant in the method. “The very first thing he mentioned within the assembly when he began the race was, ‘I’ve by no means picked up bottles from the automotive’,” Andersen smiles.
Fortunately, he was a protected chief, particularly after donning the white jersey following the robust stage 3 to Uraidla, and did not should fetch bottles for himself or his teammates.
“Here, he is not going to do it, however these are the issues that we come up towards when we have now all these junior riders coming in, they don’t seem to be used to it. He’s projected right here, so he is not going to do it, however afterward, we have to work on that.”
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