Vincenzo Nibali has never abandoned the world of cycling. After his retirement at the end of the 2022 season, we have seen the Sicilian in various roles, from promoter to consultant, and now he is also becoming a shareholder in A&J All Sports. The announcement was made about a week ago during the grand celebration dedicated to the agency of brothers Alex and Johnny Carera, sparking general enthusiasm and, above all, great curiosity among fans and industry professionals. This is a significant turning point for both the Sicilian champion and the management agency that over the years has made the Shark one of its top athletes.

"About two years ago, when Vincenzo left the professional world, he suggested entering the company with us, and honestly, we thought it was a joke. Then in July, we found ourselves in Nice to celebrate the Tour won by Tadej Pogacar, and he proposed it again jokingly, but we took it seriously," said Johnny Carera, who was among the guests at the Tuttobici Oscar night a few days ago. Now a long-standing agent and a reference point in the Italian and international landscape, Johnny explained how Vincenzo has effectively become a shareholder of the company that has been his family for years, an important turning point especially for its emotional and symbolic value. "When Vincenzo asked me and my brother Alex to join the company, we were extremely happy. At that moment, we were certain that we had done the right things in 25 years of work – continued Johnny – we have known Vincenzo for over twenty years, he was our client and then we quickly became friends. In some way, we grew together, we won, we traveled the world like a kind of family. He was an A&J All Sports athlete for many years, and now he is part of the family in every respect. It was an important choice that fills us with pride, a sort of natural continuation of our adventure."

The bond between Vincenzo Nibali and the Carera brothers is something special, a story that began many years ago when the Sicilian was not yet a professional, but just a young boy who was not afraid to dream big. Then the Shark made his debut in the top category, with Johnny and Alex always by his side, advising and supporting him. "We met Vincenzo more than twenty years ago through mutual friends; it was 2002, he was racing for Mastromarco and had won the world bronze in the junior time trial. At the time, there were only me and my brother Alex, and together we started a true journey that took us everywhere. Thanks to Nibali, we rejoiced, we were moved, but above all, we grew with him, and alongside the great champion, a increasingly stronger managerial reality was formed. Cycling has evolved over the years, and consequently, our work has changed. From two, we have grown to ten, with agents in all European countries ready to support our athletes at any moment, and we try to get the maximum potential from everyone. Alex and I are always there, a bit more behind the scenes, but ready to intervene, with the same passion and enthusiasm we had with Vincenzo, which we now invest in new champions, many of whom grew up with his myth." Johnny Carera told us, retracing not only Nibali's story but what has become a complex and especially very strong structure. Tadej Pogacar is certainly the top athlete, but alongside him, there are equally important figures like Jasper Philipsen, Biniam Girmay, and Giulio Ciccone, just to name a few.

After taking a trip down memory lane with Johnny Carera, a curiosity remained, so we decided to ask him directly without too many detours: will we ever see Vincenzo Nibali as an agent? "I don't know what his plans are, but for now, I would say no. His collaboration with A&J All Sports as a shareholder does not include any actual fieldwork. Vincenzo was an incredible athlete capable of winning all three grand tours and extremely important races. He is a global symbol, and I believe that even today he is an important reference point for both those who ride bikes and those who dream of doing so." – concluded Johnny Carera – "If one day he were to give advice to an athlete, whether as a shareholder or something else, I believe it would be different from what we do. He has the experience of an athlete, he has experienced firsthand what it means to be managed by me and my brother, and that is the most important thing for us."