The team have added to the roster of trainers, by bringing on board the two experienced coaches.
Following on from another highly successful season, where the Wolfpack have achieved an impressive 66 wins, as well as adding to the riding squad, the team’s management have been looking into how to keep evolving, and have now recruited two of the highest regarded cycling coaches around – Vasilis Anastopoulos and Franck Alaphilippe – who will join our strong group of coaches that includes also Tom Steels and Koen Pelgrim.
The names of Anastopoulos and Alaphilippe are already well regarded amongst cycling fans. Anastopoulos was Greece’s first ever professional cyclist, in a distinguished career that saw him become Greek National Champion an astonishing 17 times. He then studied sports science for four years, with a specialisation in cycling, before receiving an IOC Scholarship to study for a UCI Cycling Diploma – the highest coaching accreditation available in cycling.
Since then, he spent several years as the trainer and general manager of the Greek national team, before taking a role with the successful SEG Racing Academy, where he has overseen the transition to the Elite ranking of 23 riders, including that of our own Fabio Jakobsen. Vasilis describes joining Deceuninck – Quick-Step as “a great honour to be with the best team in the world and I am looking forward to helping the squad achieve their targets, continue winning and join in the Wolfpack spirit.”
The ties with our team do not stop there, with Franck being the cousin of Milano-Sanremo champion Julian Alaphilippe. Hailing from the French city of Bourges, Franck started competitive cycling at the age of 13 and continued racing into his late 20s, before graduating as a coach. From there he went on to the Saint-Amand-Montrond training centre, where he was responsible for the sport and studies of the cadets and juniors. This as well as guiding Julian’s rise to being one of the strongest riders in the world today, and coaching several other male and female professional cyclists. On his new role with the team, Franck said: “I will be working hard to help the team remain the best in the world and win the most beautiful races. My dream is to help a rider become World Champion.”
“We have announced a number of rider signings ahead of next season, but the addition of Franck and Vasilis are also very important. We have a fantastic coaching team already, which is reflected in our results from our very successful recent seasons, but in order to stay successful and compete with the best, we have to evolve and keep improving. Both have proven track records in improving riders and getting them in the best possible shape for the most important races. We are all looking forward to working with them and the future success that we are sure they can help us achieve”, Deceuninck – Quick-Step CEO Patrick Lefevere said.
Photo credit: ©Sigfrid Eggers