Who?

Netherland’s finest, Michel Cornelisse, enjoyed a 13-year long pro career in teams such as Superconfex, Panasonic and TVM before jumping on the car and becoming Sports Director for Vacansoleil (NED), MTN – Qhubeka (RSA) and Team Roompot – Nederlandse Loterij (NED), before joining the Academy in 2018.

What about him?

In May 2017, Michel served as “guest” Sports Director of the Academy during the Ronde de l’Isard. He felt an instant connection to the team, riders, and staff. When the season was over, he had it very clear, he wanted to come back to the Academy and share his knowledge with the upcoming generation of cyclists, at the same time as he was playing a crucial role in their development. 

How did he perform?

Results don’t lie, and with Michel as one of our Sports Directors the Academy achieved an all-time record of 14 UCI wins which placed the team as the first Continental squad in the UCI Ranking. The way he had of planning the races and communicating with riders, allowed our youngsters to undergo a constant learning process, which made them better and smarter bike riders. 

What was next after the Academy?

Everyone loves and wants a great Sports Director for their team. And that is exactly what Alpecin-Deuceninck’s management thought, so they decided to bring Michel on board ahead of their first season in the Pro Continental division. Even though it was a short one, we are really proud of the run we had with him!