Thijs Joris Al is a Dutch cyclist specializing in competitive mountain biking and cyclo-cross. Al rode his first mountain bike race in 1995. In his junior years Al proved to be a talented rider and was already selected for the junior European and World Championships in 1997 after his 4th position at the Dutch national Championships. At the European Championships in Denmark he did not come further than the 91st position, but at the World Championships in Switzerland his 36th position was a better result. That year he finished in a first position in the Rabobank Topcompetitie and in second place for the Benelux Cup. He won his first Dutch national title in 1998 and successfully defended his Rabobank Topcompetitie title. At the European Championships in Belgium he finished in 42nd position, but again he performed much better at the World Championships, towards a 17th position in Canada. After a successful year in 1998 he was invited to ride for the Be-One Europe team, which was the junior team for the Be-One World team. In 1999, his first professional year he had a tough time keeping up with his opponents, mainly due to the longer distances of the races. [More at Wikipedia]

June 16th, 1980 in Zaandam (Age 43)