Danny Nelissen

Who is Danny Nelissen?

Daniel Wilhelmus Maria Nelissen is a Dutch former professional road bicycle racer and current sports commentator at Eurosport. He won the 1995 amateur world championship and was named Dutch Sportsman of the year.

He started his professional career in 1990 with PDM, for which he won his first professional race, the Grand Prix de Wallonie, in 1992. In 1994, while riding for the Dutch TVM team, he developed heart rhythm impairments and returned to ride at amateur level. The following year in Colombia he won the amateur world championship. He was the last amateur world champion, the UCI replacing the race with a youth competition in 1996. The triumph lead to Nelissen's election as 1995 Dutch Sportsman of the year. He was brought into the Rabobank team for two years under manager Jan Raas. In the 1996 Tour de France, he wore the polka dot jersey of the strongest rider in the mountains for a couple of days. Before 1998, he joined the Danish team, Team Home - Jack & Jones.

In January 1999, further heart problems brought his retirement at 28.

He's currently production manager of Dutch Eurosport.