Dr David de Klerk

David is a doctor who, before beginning his medical education, spent three years competing at a national level in cycling. He is currently specialising in Sports and Exercise Medicine at the University of Cape Town, where his thesis is focused on the optimisation of altitude training protocols.

David has worked in professional cycling for the past five years. He spent three years as a member of the medical team at UAE Team Emirates before joining Alpecin–Deceuninck for a further year, where he contributed to the medical management of athletes and helped establish the team’s altitude training programme.

In 2025, David joined the performance department at Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe, where he now coaches athletes at the U19, U23 and WorldTour levels. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, he also provides expert advice to Red Bull on altitude and heat training protocols.

As a coach, David has guided athletes to multiple national titles, a World Championship title, professional race victories, and a podium finish at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

David is particularly passionate about the long-term development of young athletes and helping them realise their potential at the highest levels of the sport. His combination of medical expertise and performance physiology experience provides a unique perspective on the coaching, development and management of both developing and elite athletes.