|
|
|
|
Škoda Auto has extended its partnership with the legendary cycling race Tour de France by a further four years (2008-2011) and will therefore continue its involvement in top-class cycling that started in 2004. The partnership agreement was signed with A.S.O. (Amaury Sport Organisation), the organiser of the Tour.
By extending its partnership with this prestigious race, Škoda Auto continues supporting cycling that, alongside ice-hockey, is one of the pillars of the Company’s sponsorship and communication strategy. “Our continuing involvement in cycling and especially the partnership with the Tour de France is part of our long-term strategy of teaming up with the best and thus enhancing the brand awareness and visibility on one side while demonstrating first-class quality of our products on the other”, said Martin Lauer, Head of Škoda Auto Corporate Communications. “Cycling is a worldwide phenomenon, a sport done by millions of people of all age categories and professions. We want to be where our existing and potential customers are and, at the same time, help support this wonderful sport,” adds Martin Lauer.
The partnership with the Tour de France includes support for a number of competitions in France and Belgium organised by A.S.O., such as the well-known spring classic Paris-Roubaix. Thanks to Škoda Auto’s foreign-based agencies, the Mladá Boleslav-based car manufacturer has also been involved in the Giro d’Italia since last year.
For further information, please contact: Jaroslav Černý, Corporate Communications
Tel.: +420 326 811 176 - jaroslav.cerny@skoda-auto.cz
Download the pdf(81 ko)
In the presence of Mr Jaime Lissavetsky, junior minister and President of the Supreme Council for Sports, and Patrice Clerc, President of Amaury Sport Organization, Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France has presented the yellow jersey to the 2006 winner, Oscar Pereiro.
Following the announcement of the official results by the International Cycling Union, this ceremony has been organized at the "Consejo Superior de Deportes" in Madrid on Monday 15th October at 6pm in the presence of a lot of journalists.
These proposals would notably create a 'European' schedule for such well known and long standing events, which are Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Paris-Nice, Paris-Tours and La Flèche Wallonne, which have always been included on the world calendar
Additionally, the Tour de France would be forced to follow the participation rules of the "Pro Tour" and would be forced to use this closed system the A.S.O. is not in agreement with.
The A.S.O. deems these proposals to be harmful and unacceptable for the concerned events and more in general for the interest of cycling.
Noting the failure of negotiations and, once again, the refusal of the UCI to listen to the legitimate demands of the major events and preoccupied by the situation this has created, A.S.O. has turned to the French Cycling Federation and the Royal Belgian Cycling Federation in asking them to help preserve the future of these cycling 'Classics'.
In addition, A.S.O. hopes that the meeting to be held in Paris next October 22 and 23, organised by the French Minister of Health and Sport, will make it possible to develop an efficient action plan, along with all those involved in professional cycling and in a framework assuring the largest objectivity and impartialness required, to end the practice, that until recently has tarnished the image of this magnificent sport and it's champions.
Download the pdf(22 ko)
More information, more style and faster! In the 2007 edition, the Tour can be seen on television, can be read about in the press, can be listened to on the radio and now may be discovered in detail on the Internet. Taking advantage of the possibilities offered by new Internet tools and cutting-edge technology (web 2.0, Ajax…), www.letour.fr has been greatly transformed this year. The official website of the Tour will undergo design, content and efficiency improvements. Before the start of the race in London on July 7th, Internet surfers can already go on to discover the tourist guide, a complete statistics database, as well as the route and the precise timed itineraries of all the stages. In its “live” configuration, the site will allow to follow the progress of the race in real time (time differences, news, interviews…). At the end of each stage it will also provide access to all the standings and the reactions from the main actors of the day.
Above all, the Tour de France has decided to develop its video content offer on its website. In this sense, www.letour.fr collaborates with the reference website www.youtube.com, which will offer a selection of the official videos in a space – a true channel – devoted solely to the Tour de France.
Thanks to the rider bibs and the sponsorship of the team standings, SAGEM will this year enter the Tour de France adventure.
The SAGEM logo will be placed on all the bibs of the riders, beneath their race numbers. It will also be displayed through the composite logo SAGEM / TOUR DE FRANCE on the back of the jackets and chasubles of the professional photographers working on the event.
SAGEM will be the official partner of the team standings. Every morning, the first team of the overall classification will be distinguished on the podium of the start village. During the race, all the riders will be carrying a yellow bib.
CeThis partnership represents for the High-Speed Internet Communication Business Group of Sagem Communication (SAFRAN group) an excellent opportunity to promote the numerous key products of the brand, especially the photo products (printers, digital frames, digital kiosks).
Other than the visibility that the brand will benefit from, SAGEM mainly associates itself to the series of essential principles wanted by the Tour de France. Patrick Sevian, General Director of Sagem Communication, indeed declares that he is “particularly sensitive to the sponsorship of the team standings: the team work values shared by all our colleagues are for us a key factor of success”. Christian Prud'homme, Director of the Tour de France, also underlines that “cycling being the most collective of individual sports, to have an interest for the team standings shows on behalf of Sagem a real knowledge of the stakes and a noble conception of work.”
Sagem Communication (SAFRAN group) is a major actor in the domain of mobile communication and high-speed internet communication, having obtained leading world positions thanks to its highly innovative potential. The SAGEM products especially illustrate themselves in the following acitivities: mobile phones, printing terminals, residential terminals, digital TV decoders, networks, electronical counters… etc.
For more information, visit the websites: www.sagem.com and www.safran-group.com.
Download the pdf(36 ko)
The organisation of the Tour de France has decided to ad three wild cards to the 18 teams which had already been selected on December 12th, 2006.
Therefore, 21 teams of 9 riders (189 riders) will take part to the 7.9 kilometres prologue in the centre of London on July, 7th.
|
Germany Belgium Denmark Spain United States |
France Italy Netherlands |
|
France |
United Kingdom |
Switzerland |
Download the pdf(241 ko)
