Keeping a business eye and a sporting eye on the Tour de France

CIE’s members are committed to supporting all areas of cycling business. And for the next three weeks many of them will join us in casting a daily eye over the news and results from the Tour de France, cycling’s great annual spectacle.

CIE members know that greatest potential to sell more bikes and equipment may come from getting millions more people to ride bikes every day, but there is no doubt that the history and spectacle of the Tour is a showcase for cycling and for our brands to present their cutting-edge technologies to the watching public. Many of the companies that do most to support daily leisure and transport cycling have grown from sporting roots, so they maintain their passion for the sport just as much as they want to grow cycling for everyone. Winning bikes are likely to end up in museums as well as in the shops.

And the Tour de France holds a special place in the heart of sports cyclists. The very numbers make us proud and excited to be part of the cycling family during these three weeks. Broadcasting to 190 countries, 1800 accredited press personnel following the race, the most watched annual sporting event in the world.

But it also underpins the whole economic system that makes elite professional road racing possible, without the TV rights, sponsorships and prize money that are attracted to this one race a whole branch of the cycling economy would be at significant risk.

Of course this is not a normal year. This is a delayed Tour and there are many major challenges to move these numbers of people round a whole country. We will miss the crowds by the roadside which give the race its very special atmosphere, up to a million in one day at its peak. And running up to the Tour many leading riders have experienced crashes and injury, which reminds us again how extraordinarily brave and skilled these athletes are.

So we will be looking out to give a cheer when any of our members crosses the line in a winning position, but also hoping that all the riders and staff do make it to Paris in good health, along with the health of the race itself.

Good luck Bianchi Trek Lapierre Cervélo SRAM Shimano Fizik