Dillon Corkey has signed a new two-year World Tour contract but will not have to wait until next season to make his debut in the top tier (Photo: Caroline Kerley)

Dillon Corkery is in the middle of his second full season at UCI Contiental level, with French team St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93, but he is set for a big move in his career as he has secured a new two-year World Tour contract.

The 26-year-old from Banteer, Co Cork, has had by far his best season this year, after making significant progress in addressing the cramping problem that had bligted his career. And the results he secured in recent months caught the eye of Team Picnic PostNL.

The Dutch team has agreed terms with Corkery, who will be a World Tour rider next year and in 2027, with a new contract confirmed. However, he will debut for the team in coming weeks, as part of the longer term deal.

Though Corkery will finish this season with St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93, where he has developed rapidly and really settled in, he will ride for Picnic PostNL in the weeks ahead in what is a stagiaire arrangement.

Corkery riding for the Nicolas Roche Performance Team as a junior

Under the deal, while he will stay with his French Continental team until the conclusion of the season, he will guest for Picnic PostNL in several races. Those appearances, in a small number of events, will offer a gradual introduction to the team before going full-time for the next two years.

The Dutch team will have top sprinter Fabio Jakobsen on its roster next year and Corkery will likely ride as lead-out support, as well as hopefully getting his own chances at some races.

He has competed for French elite teams Elite Restauration 89 (2020, 2021) and CC Étupes (2022, 2023) and also rode a stagiaire for former Irish UCI Continental team, EvoPro Racing, in 2021. 

His new World Tour deal represents a massive step for a very popular rider who has remained determinedly committ to his cycling. His big move also comes as he had reached the age where very few riders secure a first World Tour contract.

However, he has always been a talent and has been able to realise his abilities more fully this year, after alleviating his cramping and getting more out of himself. He told stickybottle earlier this year he had suffered from cramps in every race he has ridden since he was a youth racer.

But taking a supplement has offered him a break from the problem, and his results clearly point to a notable improvement. In March he was 8th at Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers Souvenir Bruno Comini (1.2) and La Roue Tourangelle Centre Val de Loire – Groupama P.V.L. (1.1).

He also placed 6th in Grand Prix de Denain-Porte du Hainaut (1.Pro), where he made the eight-man select group in the 197km race competing against World Tour teams. He was also 3rd in a stage of Région Pays de la Loire Tour (2.1).

However, though his results have been of a higher quality, his general racing performance has been much stronger, even when the results have not reflected it. Corkery was also 2nd, to Darren Rafferty (EF Education-EasyPost), in the road race at last year’s National Road Championships in Athea, Co Limerick, and won a stage and the overall at Rás Tailteann in 2023.

The former elite national criterium champion, Corkery has also represented Ireland on the road at U23 and elite level, including riding Tour de l’Avenir as an U23 and being selected for the UCI World Road Championships in Glasgow two years ago, among other races.