Eli Iserbyt joins Pogacar's agency after forced cyclocross retirement

Eli Iserbyt has joined A&J All Sports Management Agency as a cyclocross coordinator following his early retirement in January. 

A&J All Sports, managed by brothers Alex and Johnny Carera, is one of the biggest agencies in professional cycling with current clients including Tadej Pogačar and Isaac del Toro. 

"With his experience at the highest level of world cyclocross, Eli will play a key role in supporting and developing our athletes throughout the winter season,” confirmed A&J All Sports on Instagram. 

Current cyclocross stars that are clients with the agency include the likes of Léo Bisiaux, Sara Casasola, Fleur Moors, Silvia Persico, and Emiel Verstrynge.

Iserbyt announced on January 8, after being unable to race during the 25/26 cyclocross season, that he had been forced into an early retirement at 28 years old.

The two-time UCI Cyclocross World Cup winner had suffered complications with a narrowed iliac artery that the Belgian had undergone four surgeries trying to correct.

The former European and Belgian champion picked up 54 professional wins during his cyclocross career, as well as two overall victories in the Superprestige series and five X2O Trofee triumphs to add to his UCI World Cup successes.

His rivalry with Tom Pidcock stood out in particular, one which started in the under-23 ranks with both winning the world titles directly against each other.

Iserbyt won in Heusden-Zolder in 2016, while Pidcock was still a junior, before winning again in 2018 in a mud-fest in Valkenburg, Netherlands. Pidcock would get his revenge the following year on a fast course in Bogense, Denmark, with Iserbyt having to settle for second.

In the elite ranks, Iserbyt finished third at the World Championships in Fayetteville, United States, in 2022, behind Pidcock and in Hoogerheide, Netherlands, in 2023, behind Mathieu van der Poel.