French cyclist Lionel Marie will become a new sporting director for UAE Team ADQ from the 2026 season. Sixty years old, born in Cherbourg, Normandy, he has extensive international experience and is preparing to embark on this new adventure in women's cycling after spending the last four years in China. Initially a coach at a sports school in France, Marie later became responsible for cycling development in the Normandy region for the French Cycling Federation.

In October 2000, Roger Legeay, then Team Manager of Crédit Agricole, created a development team and invited him to join. Four years later, when the UCI launched the World Tour, he began working with various World Tour teams. "One of my fondest memories is contributing to the success of Team Garmin-Cervélo, winning four Tour de France stage victories and claiming the Best Team classification," Marie recalled.

Since then, Lionel Marie has acquired extensive experience as a sporting director and team manager with Torku Continental Team and China Anta Mentech Continental Team. His period in China allowed him to serve as national team coach until this year, participating in the Paris Olympic Games, UCI World Championships, and Asian Championships.

Now a new chapter begins in his long career. "During this year's Tour de France Femmes, I was deeply impressed by UAE Team ADQ's fighting spirit," Lionel Marie confided, explaining how contact with the new team began. "Even after losing their leader early in the race, they continued to race aggressively and win stages. I was also struck by the team's organization and how they share their journey with fans through the web. This professionalism and determination motivated me to want to be part of this project."

"My first objective," continues the French coach, "is to learn and embrace the team's philosophy. As the saying goes, 'TEAM means Together Everyone Achieves More', and I'm proud to be part of this puzzle, working to bring the team to the top of the WorldTour rankings as quickly as possible. I bring decades of international experience, strong leadership, and a deep passion for developing riders and creating winning strategies."

When we ask Lionel Marie about his best quality, he responds: "If I were to choose just one quality, it would be passion, closely followed by honesty: values that guide every decision I make in cycling and in life."