Football super-agent Mendes moves into cycling with Almeida and Guerreiro deal

Football super-agent Jorge Mendes has made a foray into the world of cycling with his sports marketing company Polaris Sports partnering with João Correia's Corso Sports.

The deal means that Portuguese riders João Almeida (Deceuninck-QuickStep) and Rubén Guerreiro (EF Education-Nippo) will be promoted by Polaris.

Mendes is one of the famed 'super-agents' in the world of football, representing Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo, manager José Mourinho and Everton star James Rodriguez, while being heavily involved in teams such as Wolverhampton Wanderers, Monaco and Atletico Madrid via his GestiFute company. He also represents stars of other sports, including F1 driver Charles Leclerc.

Corso, meanwhile, represents a swathe of talented young riders throughout the pro peloton, including 2019 world champion Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), Giro d'Italia winner Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers), Tour de France stage winner Søren Kragh Andersen (Team DSM), and time trial specialist Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates).

"Polaris Sports and Corso have just established a partnership agreement which aims to optimise the commercial perspectives of Portuguese athletes that work with [Corso] in an association that is expected to be fruitful and successful," read a press release issued by Polaris.

Almeida and Guerreiro, who, like several other Corso clients, both came through the ranks at Hagens Berman Axeon, were breakout stars at the 2020 Giro d'Italia. Almeida, a neo-pro last season, held the maglia rosa for two weeks, only ceding it on the Stelvio on stage 17 before finishing fourth in Milan. Guerreiro, meanwhile, won the blue mountains jersey and won stage 9 to Roccaraso.

After a stellar season, Guerreiro suffered a scary end to 2020 after being hit by a motorist while out training last week. The 26-year-old suffered a fracture clavicle and will undergo surgery.