From sport event to the business of sport: the Tour de France bicycle race

Abstract

À la fois « monument » du calendrier cycliste international et vitrine du patrimoine français, le Tour de France est aujourd'hui le premier événement sportif annuel mondial. Il est devenu une véritable « marque », alimentant en géographie la relation marque(s) et territoire(s). La notoriété de l'épreuve sportive fait de l'événement une place de choix pour les annonceurs donnant -chaque année en juillet -à la course des couleurs de « galerie commerçante » tout au long de son parcours. La relation commerce(s) et loisir(s), voire tourisme est explicite. Grâce à cette renommée mondiale, la marque « Tour de France » se décline et se vend dans le monde entier : des produits dérivés aux courses et événements dérivés en passant par le support digital, le business du Tour de France se traduit en produits, marques, sites dédiés, développement territorial, mobilisant de nouvelles échelles articulées entre ancrage local et racines populaires, et globalisation et « industrie » du Tour. Mots-clés : Business / marque territoriale / méga-événement / Tour de France / tourismeABSTRACT -As a "monument" of the international bicycling races calendar and a showcase of French heritage at the same time, the Tour de France is today the foremost annual sporting event. It has become a true brand, consolidating within geographic thought the relations between brands and territory. The event is so famous that it is now a major outlet for advertisers, giving to the race -held every year in July -the colors of a "shopping mall" all along its course. The relationship between commerce and leisure, even tourism, is explicit. Thanks to this world fame, the "Tour de France" brand is available and sold worldwide: from derivative products to derivative races and events through the digital support, the Tour de France business is declined in products, brands, dedicated sites, territorial development, involving new spatial scales connecting local anchoring and popular roots, globalization and "industry" of the Tour.

The making of the Tour de France cycling race as a tourist attraction

“…La Caravane was created for economic reasons in 1930 by Henri Desgranges when the format of the race changed from teams sponsored by brands to national teams. The incomes generated by the caravan, via brands paying to be part of it, were used for team's accommodation along the different stages and to provide bikes (Fagnoni & Castoldi, 2018), and in 1930, the caravan included only 10 vehicles (Lagae, 2016). Today the publicity caravan is composed of 200 vehicles, representing about 40 brands (Lagae, 2016), including approximately 480 representatives and 120 persons responsible for safety and logistics (TDF, 2019c).…”

“…In addition, during the three weeks of the race, about 15 million promotional items are distributed to spectators waiting on the roadsides (TDF, 2019c). The publicity caravan has turned into a choreographed spectacle, a parade with colourful and modified vehicles aiming at entertaining spectators (Fagnoni & Castoldi, 2018). Furthermore, the TDF is symbolized by the Maillot Jaune, the yellow jersey that celebrates the leader of the overall classification after each stage, and to a lesser extent by the Maillot Vert, Maillot Blanc, and the Maillot à Pois.…”

“…This is a mass participation event that allows amateur cyclists to race over the same route as one of the TDF stages. These initiatives, consisting of using the popular image of the TDF, are also an opportunity for host cities and communities to generate economic benefits by attracting tourists and cycling aficionados that will also potentially visit the local area and use local restaurants and other services (Fagnoni & Castoldi, 2018). Secondly, from outside the sport perspective, a few streets have been renamed after the race.…”

Opinion of the Spectators of a Grand Tour in Spain: A Qualitative Analysis

“…The publicity caravan also figured prominently in the comments of the residents and tourists who attended the event. It should be noted that even though the caravan is a complementary activity to the sporting event, the advertising caravan has become a spectacle, a parade with colourful and modified vehicles to entertain the spectators before the passage of the cyclists (Fagnoni & Castoldi, 2018). According to Fine and Speer (1985) who analysed an event very similar to La Vuelta, the advertising caravan has become an attraction, where 47% of fans who attended the event did so mainly to watch the caravan (CNN, 2017).…”