The art of coaching can be defined as the interaction of two people: the coach and the athlete, where they both show elements of connection, understanding, shared experiences and trust to help bring the best out of each other and achieve a common goal. Whilst there has been a large amount of research focusing on the how the coach athlete relationship is built, there is currently no research exploring the perceptions of both the coach and the athlete regarding the how the coach athlete relationship functions in the context of professional cycling. The aim of this research study was to explore the role of a cycling director sportif and identify how they use elements of the coach athlete relationship to achieve a common goal with their athletes and achieve the best performance possible within their team environment. The participants were three males and one female who were purposefully sampled for this study due to their extensive experience in being a director sportif. Participants took part in a single semi structured interview lasting 45 minutes in order to gain a deep understanding of their perception and experiences of the coach athlete relationship. The data were thematically analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. A total of six super-ordinate themes were uncovered during the analysis process and were defined as previous experience, coaching behaviors, education, communication, potential and team culture and ethos. The results indicate that there is a lack of clarity regarding the role of a director sportif and their function within the greater performance support team. There is also a critical lack of understanding focusing on the best form of education for newly appointed director sportifs, it is also unknown if previous experience as a professional cyclist provides a sufficient level of knowledge and skills to be an effective coach. This present study also highlights a change in the way that coaches measure the performance of their athletes within the context of professional cycling, and how both coaches and athletes heavily rely on communication and more interpersonal skills as their primary source of motivation during training and races. Future research should attempt to further define the role of a director sportif and identify whether just informal learning and mentoring is a sufficient form of education for newly appointed director sportifs.
