agent of change
dispelling the myths about sports agents in cycling
The role of an agent within sport seems to receive a certain amount of bad press. At the elite level of high profile sports, there’s often the unromantic presumption of questionable characters making shady deals for their own benefit. So it was interesting for me when opportunity knocked to enter this sphere within professional cycling and become an agent myself.
About a year ago I started working for Rocket Sports Management, the agency founded by the Rocket Man himself, music legend and sports fan Sir Elton John. We share a home with the music arm of the company, Rocket Music, which means people can get a bit star-struck at times in reception but it works for us in the respect we can lean on their expertise regarding legal counsel and utilise their networks outside of sport. Road riders Ben Swift, Bob Jungels, Geraint Thomas and Adam Yates are part of our stable of cyclists, as well British track stars Laura Trott and Jason Kenny. We’re a young dynamic bunch and I think our athletes would agree the agency does have a family feel.
On the subject of family, coming from a big cycling family myself it’s not too surprising I ended up working within the sport in some capacity. I raced a fair bit in Europe, and rode a couple of U23 Worlds a little over a decade ago but I’m not ashamed to say I simply didn’t have the talent or engine to reach anywhere near the top-flight. A lot of my generation have been known to use another obvious excuse at times. For me I think realising that harsh truth early allowed me piece of mind and to race happily while pursuing a degree in Management. After hanging up my racing wheels a career path in PR and sports marketing for Adidas Golf and Oakley respectively has led me to where I am today.
Since 2011, if you want to become an agent you must pass an exam. This involves travelling to the UCI ’s World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Switzerland, for a couple of days, where, if all goes well, you become a UCI Certified Riders’ agent. It’s not a breeze by any means and I think it can only be viewed upon as a good initiative serving to protect the riders and ensuring they are best represented. The exam is designed to standardise and “better monitor” agent activity, and all rider agents must pass this certification unless they’re a lawyer or related to the rider. My opinion is everyone should still have to pass the test as it teaches a lot about the intricacies of the sport and its governance, elements of pro cycling that a Harvard Law degree wouldn’t teach. There reading list is extensive. I’m the first to admit I’m one of the newer UCI accredited agents but everyone has to do things for a first time and my background has lent itself well to the role. Having worked for sports brands and marketing agencies I’d like to think I can see things from a fresh perspective to those who have been rooted for decades in pro cycling.
In previous roles I have dealt with my share of sports agents, some good and some not so good. A good agent is able to take a step back and see a bigger picture for their rider, while a bad agent is one who is thinking too financially and short-term. Ultimately, though, I’ve learnt sports agents and sports management agencies are a necessary link in the food chain of any professional sport.
One common misconception about the role of an agent I was able to clear up quickly is of it being thought of as a glamorous existence. I can safely say it’s not. It’s pretty solitary at times, with plenty of hanging around the back of a team bus, a hotel lobby and meals for one. Even at this early point, most team sports directors or managers I’ve dealt with seem to be quite level-headed and shoot from the hip. I had braced myself for a host of egos but it hasn’t transpired like that, which is a refreshing reality to my own perceptions beforehand.
Professional cycling is a beautiful jungle of opinions and theories on how best to steer our sport going forward. There will always be things to fix, change, modernise and adapt in any sport and always tribes who disagree with each other but it’s safe to say the role of the agent in between is a necessary one. And with the UCI ’s initiative to regulate their activity through the exam, it can only be good news for those who give life to our sport – the riders.