Skoda set to support Tour de France
As the Tour de France gets underway in Nice today the support vehicles will once again be from Skoda – its 17th year of support for the iconic cycling race.
The company is providing up to 250 vehicles for the organisation and race management of the cycling event, including the command vehicle (‘Red Car’) for Christian Prudhomme. The director of the Tour de France will be monitoring and directing the race from a ŠKODA Superb iV with plug-in hybrid drive. In addition, ŠKODA is again sponsoring the green jersey for the best sprinter and, as a partner of the official Tour de France app, will be keeping fans up to date on the latest racing action.
Alain Favey, from Skoda said: “Our deep commitment to cycling and our many years of close cooperation with Tour de France organiser A.S.O. are integral parts of ŠKODA AUTO’s global sports sponsorship. This event is the perfect setting for us to present our brand and products internationally and at the same time, share our enthusiasm for this dynamic sport with millions of fans.”
In addition to the new, fourth generation of the brand’s bestseller, the Octavia and the top model Superb, the Kodiaq, the Karoq and the Kamiq will be used for the organisation and race management.
21 stages, 180 cyclists and 3,470-kilometre course
This year’s Tour of France covers a total distance of 3,470 kilometres. On 29 August, around 180 riders will set off for Paris from the Grand Départ in the southern French coastal city of Nice. They will face 21 stages, including eight mountain stages, four mountain climbs and an individual time trial. The route of the Tour de France includes twelve new cities and towns, including Le Teil, Chauvigny and Mantes-la-Jolie. Among the highlights of the 107th run of the cycling classic are the mountain routes, which lead the peloton through the Alps, the Pyrenees and the Vosges mountains as well as the Massif Central and the Jura. The professional cyclists will have to master the Grand Colombier, the Col de la Lusette and the Col de la Madeleine, among others. On 20 September, the peloton will reach the finish line on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris.