Cycling: Tour Success Is Moving Bike Retailers Up Another Gear ; Business of Sport

Summary

---

Tomorrow, the Tour de France, still by some distance the world's largest live spectator sport, takes to the Pyrenees. Riders have already encountered three consecutive Alpine stages and, after today's comparatively short (54km) time trial, the spectacular mountains await once more.

Commercially, "Le Tour" is gradually being rehabilitated but it is a slow process and every single sponsor has inserted an opt-out clause in its commercial contract allowing it to withdraw as a race partner or team sponsor should any further, potentially damaging, drug revelations be made between now and July 29 when the 2007 Tour finishes in Paris.

See the full content of this document

Extract

---

Cycling: Tour Success Is Moving Bike Retailers Up Another Gear ; Business of Sport

Nonetheless, an analysis of this year's Tour team sponsors reveals that one third of them are either telecom groups or banks, a mix which might suggest a comprehensive rehabilitation, but the fact is sponsors can still buy into the event for a comparatively small outlay. Assumin...

See the full content of this document

---