US sports marketing and talent management agency Wasserman has acquired Belgian cycling-focused agency Squadra Sports Management.

Following the purchase, announced today (June 15), Squadra is being rebranded as Wasserman Cycling, with the firm’s managing director Dries Smets to join Wasserman as senior vice president for cycling along with all Squadra employees.

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Wasserman also takes on Squadra’s portfolio of clients, which includes Julian Alaphilippe, Lotte Kopecky, Michael Matthews, Arnaud Démare, Yves Lampaert, Tim Merlier, Jasper Stuyven, Tiesj Benoot, Tim Wellens, Luke Plapp, Ben O’Connor, Pavel Sivakov, Philippe Gilbert, and Greg Van Avermaet.

These join Wasserman’s existing portfolio of athletes from across sports, which includes Leander Dendoncker, Landon Donovan, Chris Eubank Jr., Tony Finau, Brittney Griner, Alun Wyn Jones, Josh Kelly, Nelly Korda, Morgan Lake, Katie Ledecky, Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Geno Smith, Giancarlo Stanton, Diana Taurasi, Klay Thompson, Federico Valverde, Jamie Vardy, and Anthony Watson.

Squadra was founded in 1998 as Sports & Entertainment Management before being renamed Celio Sports & Image in 2006 and eventually taking on the Squadra moniker in 2017.

Wasserman, meanwhile, was founded in 2002 and today has a presence in more than 45 cities, 23 countries, and six continents. It has said the Squadra acquisition is part of a broader strategy of investment in cycling.

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Travis Clarke, executive vice president for action sports and the Olympics at Wasserman, said: “Wasserman is very passionate about cycling and Dries is the perfect partner to help us put that passion to work on behalf of his clients and the industry as a whole. Dries and his team are known for their innovative and dedicated representation of cycling’s top athletes. We will build on the foundation they created to help all the clients maximize their careers.”

Smets added: “We are thrilled to announce that Squadra Sports Management will be joining Wasserman, marking an exciting new chapter in our agency's journey. From the very beginning, our mission has always been to elevate the careers of the athletes we represent, and this partnership will empower us to reach even greater heights together.”