Wasserman signs sprint sensation Mark Cavendish

20 September 2011 | Posted in Agencies, Cycling | By Tom Love

Global sports and entertainment agency Wasserman Media Group (WMG) has announced the signing of Mark Cavendish, the first British cyclist to ever win the Tour de France's maillot vert, the jersey for the winner of the points classification.
 
According to an official statement released by WMG, under terms of the agreement, 'the agency will be exclusively responsible for developing his commercial & PR opportunities ahead of London 2012 and beyond.'
 
In signing with WMG, Cavendish, who in the June 2011 edition of SportsPro was voted as the world's 35th most marketable athlete, joins a long list of high-profile British stars represented by the agency.
 
Athletes currently signed to WMG's roster include soccer players Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, Jack Wilshere, Steven Gerrard and boxer Amir Khan amongst others.
 
“I’m really excited to be joining Wasserman," said the sprint cyclist who currently rides for HTC-Highroad. "Their client list is the best in the world and being part of a company who has a history of successfully managing top athletes can only be beneficial in what is a big few years for me. It’s extremely important to have the right management behind me now to allow me to focus all of my energies into riding my bike as fast as I can.”

• The world’s 35th most marketable athlete - Mark Cavendish
  

 WMG senior vice president Simon Bayliff, who becomes Cavendish’s new representative, said, “Mark is one of the world’s top sportsmen and we’re looking forward to helping him to realise his ambitions and achieve his goals in this key phase of his career. He’s an exceptional talent and his successes to date simply underline his potential to become one of the greatest cyclists of all time.”
 
WMG international chief operating officer, Sam Rush, added, “We’re thrilled to be able to welcome Mark to Wasserman and absolutely delighted to have him on board. He is at the very top of his sport and joins what is already an elite client base at the company. We’re extremely confident that he’ll be able to realise his huge potential here at Wasserman.”

The September 2011 edition of SportsPro features an in-depth interview with WMG founder Casey Wasserman. To subscribe to the magazine, click here.