tuesday 03 April 2007 at 21h50
UPDATE 9 April 2007: added 'La P'tite Boucle Nesquik' for Nesquik.
After having published an article on this blog about how the different Tour cities communicate on the Internet around the event which will take place in their city in July, now it's time for the official partners of the Tour. Again, we'll see that some of these partners reserved a lot of space on their website around the sponsoring of the Tour de France 2007, while others don't even talk about it at all. In general, the information which is available seems to be quite static information, in some cases even written for a Tour de France a few years ago without having been updated since.
A tour on the websites of the different brands ...
The members of the Club du Tour de France
Champion
The Champion supermarkets are official partner of the Tour de France and sponsor of the polka dot jersey for best climber since 1993. In addition to this, Champion, together with Doublet and Eco-Emballages sponsors the decoration contest for cities and towns through which the Tour de France passes, the Concours de Décoration des Villes et Villages 
. Finally Champion is of course present in the advertising caravan in which they distribute the famous polka dot caps.
On Champion's website we can find an article with an overview of Champion's activities around the Tour: the polka dot jersey, specific actions in the different supermarkets, the advertising caravan with Champion's ambassadors Richard Virenque, Jacky Durand and Eddy Seigneur and the decoration contest for cities and towns through which the Tour de France passes.
LCL - Le Crédit Lyonnais
LCL (Le Crédit Lyonnais) is a partner of the Tour de France since 1981 already and since 1987 they have become the sponsor of the yellow jersey. Of course LCL is also present in the advertising caravan.
On its website LCL created a specific file around the partnership with the Tour in its sponsoring section. In this file we can find generic information about this partnership , a preview on the 2007 Tour de France and a lookback on the 2006 Tour de France .
During the Tour, LCL publishes a summary and pictures of each stage. This is how I discovered that LCL took almost the same picture as I did last year: mine is available here and LCL's here (click on Voir les photos > Etape 17 > picture at the bottom left).
Nestlé Aquarel
Nestlé Aquarel is the official water of the Tour de France since 2001. Since 2003 Nestlé Aquarel has become sponsor of the stage winner's ceremony. Nestlé Aquarel is also very present in the commercial caravan and has won several prices with its caravan. Many people are really waiting for the Nestlé Aquarel caravan to get some refreshment (Nestlé Aquarel distributes the 'Eaufficiel du Tour de France and bottles of water, but also surprises some people with a refreshing shower).
On Nestlé Aquarel's website we can find a dedicated section on the partnership with the Tour de France. In this section we can find generic information on the partnership, about the Tour and about the advertising caravan. Unfortunately this information has not been updated since 2005.
Some people working in Nestlé Aquarel's advertising caravan have created a dedicated website after the Tour last year, which contains many pictures and some stories about the advertising caravan.
Skoda
Skoda has become a Tour de France partner in 2004 and is also the sponsor of the white jersey (best young cyclist). In addition to this, Skoda provides the cars for the organisation (ASO) and for some of the cycling teams. Furthermore the brand is of course present in the advertising caravan in which they distribute white caps.
On Skoda's website a special section is dedicated to the Tour de France and this section contains information about the different stages, Skoda's sponsoring, an explanation of what Skoda does in the Tour and some pictures and videos. Unfortunately all this information is about the Tour de France 2006 and it doesn't contain anything about the Tour de France 2007.
The official partners
AG2R Prévoyance
AG2R has started its cycling sponsorships in 1997 and in 2000 the assurance company has become the main sponsor of the cycling team with the same name. Since 2003 AG2R is also an official partner of the Tour de France. On AG2R's website to which is being linked from the Tour website nothing can be found on the Tour de France, but more information is of course available on the official website of the AG2R cycling team .
Antargaz
Antargaz has become a Tour de France partner in 1996 and is also present in the advertising caravan. On its website Antargaz has published some outdated information on the Tour de France, about the Tour 2006 and about the decoration contest for cities and towns through which the Tour passes, while Antargaz no longer sponsors this contest in 2007 ...
Brandt
The kitchen and cleaning articles supplier doesn't pay any attention to the Tour the France on its website.
CSC
CSC is the Tour de France's official IT supplier and also the sponsor of the cycling team with the same name since 2001.
On CSC's website some information about the Tour de France can be found at several places, such as an article published in 2002 about CSC's work as the official IT supplier, an article about the different stage of the Tour 2007 and some information about the Tour and cyclism in general.
The cycling team's website can be found at www.team-csc.com.
Festina
Festina's website only contains some generic information about Festina's cyclism sponsoring in the sponsoring section.
Intersport
On Intersport's website no information can be found about the Tour de France, and the international website doesn't contain any further information either
Nike
Nike's website also leaves you without any result when you're looking for Tour de France information there. This partnership therefore stays as obscure as the presence of the Nike cars in the advertising caravan: they don't distribute anything and the windows of the cars are shuttered ...
Orange
Orange, or actually France Telecom is present in the Tour de France since 1999 and has become official partner for communication services in 2002. The communication services are especially provided under the brand name Orange Events Solutions and the knowledge the company has through this event is now also being used for other events.
No further information can be found at orange.fr, nor at orange.com (in its sponsoring section the Tour de France isn't even mentioned!) but on France Telecom's website we find a dedicated section about this partnership (more detailed information is available on the French version).
I'm not going to give any further information on this partnership here, but maybe I'll do so at a later stage ...
PMU
PMU, sponsor of the green jersey since 1991 and distributing the green hands in the advertising caravan, published on its website (on the French version only) a very tiny short article about the Tour de France in the sponsoring section.
The official suppliers
Cochonou
On Cochonou's website we can find a dedicated section on the Tour de France in which Cochonou is present in the advertising caravan since 1999. Since 2004 Cochonou has also become a partner of the Secours Populaire Français to which they give 5000 sausages at several stages of the Tour de France.
Last year was the first year Adeline visited Cochonou's advertising caravan for a few days and based on her visits she regularly published some posts on the Cochonouetvous.com blog.
Doublet
Doublet, supplier of the crush barriers and which puts up several banners for the Tour de France, published a very short note about the Tour de France in the section partnerships of its website.
Doublet, together with Champion and Eco-Emballages also sponsors the decoration contest for cities and towns through which the Tour passes, the Concours de Décoration des Villes et Villages.
Thanks to Harry I can now also mention this special page on Doublet's website which contains some more information about what they do in the Tour. Unfortunately the information on that page has not been updated since 2005 ...
Dr. Oetker
Dr. Oetker doesn't pay any attention to the Tour de France on its zijn website. Last year Dr. Oetker was present in the advertising caravan with its Ancel sticks and pizza's. The car which was used to promote the pizza's (pizze actually in correct Italian) left a trace of pizza odour on its way to the Tour tops!!
Etap Hotel
The Etap Hotel website doesn't contain any information on the Tour de France either.
Eurotyre
This tyre specialist is official partner of the Tour de France since 2006 and is also present in the advertising caravan.
Currently (until April 7th) Eurotyre's website contains a contest which allows 8 winners to be invited for 2 people to be at the the start of the Tour de France in London. Furthermore, Eurotyre's website contains some information about 'Eurotyre in the Tour de France 2006'.
Nestlé Extrême
Nestlé Extrême doesn't talk about the Tour de France on its website. I'm not sure whether they will again target women only with their advertising caravan, but to be honest I think it was a little bit strange last year ... as if men don't like ice ;-) !!
Grand'Mère
This coffee brand has replaced Maison du Café in 2001 as the official coffee of the de Tour de France.
On Grand'Mère's website (Kraftfoods actually) we can find some limited information about Grand'Mère in the Tour de France.
Haribo
This originally German candy supplier makes everyone, young and old, happy on the roads of the Tour because they distribute their candies in the advertising caravan.
A little bit hidden, but Haribo's website does contain a short article about the Tour de France and in addition to that Haribo organises Le permis vélo for children during the Tour de France.
Isover
Isover doesn't have any information on its website (yet) about the Tour de France.
Kawasaki
Kawasaki, sponsor of the different motors in the Tour de France, doesn't pay any attention to the Tour on its website either.
Mavic
Mavic, which provides the neutral equipment car in the Tour, publishes on its website a daily summary about each stage; the Tour 2007 doesn't get mentioned on their website yet.
Nesquik
Nesquik was a newcomer in the Tour de France and its advertising caravan last year and has thus become Nestlé's third brand to be present in the Tour.
However, Nesquik doesn't have any information on the Tour on its website.
UPDATE 9 April 2007: On CBNews
we can read that Nesquik organises for the second time 'La Ptite Boucle': a cycling race for children. From April 27 till July 1st, every weekend the so-called cycloparcs 'A chacun son Tour' will be installed in twelve Tour finish cities. More information about the programme 'A chacun son Tour' can be found in my article about the events around the Tour de France 2007.
Norbert Dentressangle
They've been the official transporter of the Tour de France since years now and have recently opened their completely new website. Therefore it's a little bit disappointing that no information on the Tour de France can be found on that new website ...
PowerBar
PowerBar, official supplier of energy bars, sports drinks and gel for the Tour de France dedicated a few pages to the Tour de France on its website, but all information on these pages is about 2006. The 2007 Tour is nowhere to be found yet on that website ...
SeaFrance
SeaFrance has an important role for this year's Tour de France since they'll take care of the transport of all cars for the Tour de France, followers and advertising caravan, before the start of the Tour in London from France to England and after the first stage back to the European mainland.
On its dedicated English website we can find more information on the Tour de France 2007 and two contests which can make you win VIP invitations to the arrival in Paris or a round-trip with the boat.
Sodexho
Sodexho's website doesn't contain any information about the Tour. Sodexho provides catering services during the Tour de France ... that's how I tried to eat peas in a driving car last year during my day in the advertising caravan ;-).
Vision Plus
Vision Plus is a newcomer in this year's Tour. For the first time, they will provide any necessary eye corrections with glasses or lenses. Vision Plus will be in the advertising caravan, but their own website doesn't mention anything about that (yet). On Pascal Orsini's website we can however find some more information about the cars which will be used for Vision Plus' advertising caravan.
The technical partners
Kleber
The second tyre specialist in the Tour after Eurotyre, Kleber, is also present in the advertising caravan and the tyre car decorations could therefore be found on the cars of both brands last year.
On Kleber's website nothing can be found about the Tour de France.
Motorhome Rent
Motorhome Rent's website doesn't contain any information about the Tour de France either.
Petit Ambulances
On the ambulance manufacturer's website we can't find any information about the Tour de France either.
Champagne Lanson
This - I think new - Tour de France champagne supplier has a website which doesn't mention the Tour de France either.
The 'institutional' partners
Ministerie of Transport and Tourism
The Ministry of Transport and Tourism (actually the Ministère des Transports, de l'Equipement, du Tourisme et de la Mer in French) makes sure the roads of the Tour are in good shape and is therefore a Tour de France partner.
The ministry's website only contains a short article about the Tour 2006 (a similar article is also available about previous Tours). I don't expect the ministry will publish much more information this year either ...
The Association of French Departments
Since the management of some roads has been passed from the Ministry of Transport and Tourism to the Association of French Departments (actually the Assemblée des Départements de France) they've now also become a Tour de France partner.
On their website however, they don't even mention the Tour.
Eco-Emballages
Eco-Emballages is the Tour's 'ecological partner' (they're also the ecological partner for Paris-Nice) which allows to separately collect rubbish during some of the Tour stages. They will probably also again be in the advertising caravans, like last year with the big yellow dustbins. Furthermore, Eco-Emballages, together with Doublet and Champion, sponsors the decoration contest for cities and towns through which the Tour de France passes, the Concours de Décoration des Villes et Villages.
Its website contains an article which explains the partnership between Eco-Emballages and the Tour de France.
Agence Régionale Pour l'Environnement (ARPE) Midi-Pyrénées
The ARPE Midi-Pyrénées' website doesn't contain any information about the Tour de France and it therefore remains unclear what their role as a Tour de France partner is.
Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie (ADEME)
The ADEME website doesn't contain any information about the Tour de France either.
The official broadcasters
France 2 / France 3
France 2 and France 3 are the official Tour de France broadcasters.
During the Tour de France they of course provide live coverage of the Tour on the Internet, but their dedicated website already contains some information on the Tour de France 2007.
I tried to make this article as complete as possible, but if you have any further information about the Tour de France partners which is available on the Internet and which might be interesting to complete this article, please feel free to mention it in a comment you can post below. Any other comments on this post are more than welcome as well of course!!
This article will also be updated in the next few months if these partners publish more information on their websites. door Thomas Vergouwen
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6 comments | 20002 views
this publication is published in: Tour de France | Tour de France 2007 | Marketing
la flamme rouge du dernier kilométre, c'est pas Doublet, c'est Movico. Elle existe depuis 2001, Doublet n'est fournisseur que depuis 2002.
J'ai retrouvé cette page Doublet http://www.doublet.fr/doublet/doublet_sur_le_tour.html sur leur participation au Tour 2005. Il y est mieux décrit leurs activités et leurs moyens...
Merci Harry pour ces infos !
Je viens de mettre l'article à jour avec ces infos. C'est dommage que Doublet n'a plus mis à jour sa page depuis 2005 :-(.
LCL profite de son partenariat de longue date du maillot jaune pour sortir une carte visa collector avec 3 visuels (une nouveauté en France).
On peut choisir un coureur en maillot jaune, un dérailleur qui rappelle pas mal les génériques de France Tv, et un autre cycliste stylisé argenté).
La carte apporte en plus des fonctionnalités habituelles quelques avantages dans le monde du vélo (3 numéros de Vélo Mag, des réductions chez certains revendeurs ...)
Accessible au nouveau souscripteur, mais aussi au possesseur d'une carte moyennant 9€50. J'adore l'idée d'avoir un maillot jaune dans mon portefeuille !
Bonjour François,
J'avais effectivement vu des infos sur la carte Cléo Vélo de LCL il y a quelque temps. Ça me fait d'ailleurs penser à ce que je dois mettre à jour cet article (et celui sur les villes), mais ce dernier temps je n'ai pas trop eu le temps de le faire ... Vous savez maintenant pourquoi ;-).
L'idée d'avoir un maillot jaune dans son portefeuille est pas mal effectivement ... encore faut-il être client de LCL ;-).
Je vais donc voir si je trouve un peu de temps bientôt pour le faire !!
erreur pour Brandt :sur son site on parle des news,des classements du tour de France.des prix du combatif de chaque jour. et on trouve même des vidéos de remise de ce prix de la combativité.cordialement www.brandt.com
Bonjour lebegue,
Brandt a effectivement crée un site dédié au prix de la combativité et un site sur le casting pour ses hôtesses mais cela a été fait après la publication de mon article ...
Comme tu l'as peut-être vu, j'étais moi-même dans le Tour de France pour faire le blog Orange dans le Tour et du coup je n'ai plus pu mettre à jour mon blog depuis quasiment mi-juin ...