Bradley Wiggins in negotiations to join Simon Fuller's star-studded agency XIX Entertainment In becoming the first Briton to win the Tour de France he broke new ground for cycling in the UK, and topped his year by winning gold in the time-trial in the opening week of the London Olympics. The Olympic title took his tally to four golds plus a silver and two bronzes in a career that stretches back to Sydney 2000. His mainstream appeal was acknowledged by Olympic opening ceremony director Danny Boyle, who selected Wiggins to ring the giant bell that marked the start of the Games last year. With his distinctive mod look - he races with an red, white and blue roundel on his helmet and trademark sideburns - Wiggins plainly has appeal to a broader audience than the weekend warriors in Lycra inspired by his efforts on two wheels alone. His straight-talking, rock and roll image was burnished last Christmas, when he marked his selection as BBC Sports Personality of the Year by joining the band at the after-show party to play songs by The Jam and Oasis. It is this broader appeal that Wiggins may be hoping to tap as he moves to XIX in the final years of a competitive career that may not stretch all the way to the 2016 Rio Olympics. XIX Entertainment has established a niche working with a small number of individual sportsmen who it believes can establish similar profiles to that enjoyed by Beckham. In Beckham, Hamilton and Murray XIX sees an opportunity to build profiles for the athletes beyond their natural sporting base. Through selective endorsement deals and a deliberate strategy they try and establish their clients as icons, something Wiggins has already achieved courtesy of his feats on two wheels. Estimates put his earning potential following his annus mirabilis at £5 million, but an enduring career may be as important as the size of the cheques as he moves into the final phase of his racing days. Cycling has moved to a new level in terms of public appeal and profile but there are nothing like the earning opportunities available to ex-footballers or cricketers in the sport. The change of management may open up other avenues in fashion and music as well as sport, and it is likely that these have been stressed in XIX's discussions with the cyclist.