In 2001, Paulissen became an elite professional rider by officially signing an exclusive, two-year sponsorship contract with Italy's Rainer Wurz MTB Team, and then capped off his season by mounting four top-ten finishes at the UCI World Cup series. With a sudden departure of his teammate and Olympic silver medalist Filip Meirhaeghe because of a doping issue, Paulissen continued to refurnish and penetrate Belgium's cycling success by earning his first World Cup triumph in Houffalize, and a prestigious bronze medal in men's cross-country race at the 2003 UCI World Championships in Lugano, Switzerland. Strong results landed him a place on the Siemens Mobile-Cannondale pro cycling team, followed by his short stint with Belgium's Jong Vlaanderen 2016 at the start of the 2004 season.
