Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling is pleased and proud to announce that Egon van Kessel has joined the team as Directeur Sportif. The Dutchman, who was a professional rider in the late 1970s, is one of the most experienced coaches in cycling, having worked with many of the biggest names, and biggest teams, in the women’s sport.
“I’m very pleased to announce our head Directeur Sportif and his core lead staff,” said Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling Managing Director Rochelle Gilmore. “Egon has had a very impressive history, working with Women in Cycling.
“He has a reputation as a master tactician and bringing a group of talented individuals together, to create an extremely competitive team atmosphere,” Gilmore continued. “Wiggle Honda is looking very strong on paper for 2015 and we’re hoping that Egon and his staff can prepare our athletes, utilising their individual strengths to unite as a team and hopefully reach all of our performance targets in 2015.”
Egon van Kessel is best known in women’s cycling for his leadership of the all-powerful Cervélo TestTeam in 2010, which finished the season as the World Number One. The Dutchman feels confident that he can be as successful again with his new team.
“Wiggle Honda is a team on the same level as Cervélo four years ago and it is very attractive for me to work with this Team and try to be the most successful women’s team for 2015,” said van Kessel. Wiggle Honda has the riders and structure to reach this goal.
“In the past I worked mostly for men’s teams but also 14 years as a national coach for the Netherlands and three successful years with the women; elite and junior,” van Kessel explained. “In that period I had Marianne Vos as a junior women rider in my national team and Leontien van Moorsel as an elite rider. Both different people; both with big results and very special to work with.
“I could use the experience with two of the best riders in recent years in women’s cycling when I worked for Cervélo, and I am sure I will again next season for Wiggle Honda,” he added. “Also my experience, working with Cervélo four years ago, can be very useful for our team I am sure.”
Confirmed in the Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling team for 2015 so far are Olympic Champion Dani King, Italian Time Trial Champion Elisa Longo Borghini, two-time Giro d’Italia winner Mara Abbott and rising British star Anna Christian. Stay tuned for further announcements as the team builds towards its third season at the top of women’s cycling.
