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Le Tour de France is cycling’s premier competition and one of the best known and most watched sport events in the world. ‘Le Tour’ has come to epitomise the peak of athletic heroism and endurance, and millions of fans follow the competition across the world. Cycling is currently the 4th most practised sport in the UK and the profile of the Tour de France brand has been bolstered in recent years by the effect of the 2007 Tour de France Grand Depart starting in London and the combined 15 gold medals won by the GB cycling team at the 2008 Olympics in Bejing and 2012 Olympics in London. British cycling personalities such as Bradley Wiggins and then Chris Froome have become celebrities after winning the Tour de France in recent years, bringing their own sense of style and flair to the sport. With Froome winning this year’s 2016 tour, he became Britain's first three-time winner and the first man to defend his title in more than 20 years. With 10 million spectators watching on the road during the tour, and another 6300 hours of global television broadcast time dedicated every year for fans tuning in at home, the time is right for the brand to gain new traction at retail. CPLG’s main focus is now to drive the ambitious expansion plans for the programme, and secure licensing partners for key product categories such as souvenir merchandise, publishing, homewares and accessories - as well as promotional partners. Work will also be undertaken to develop performance and lifestyle product ranges to create an all-round proposition for the Tour. Daniel McGeehan, Brand Manager, CPLG UK adds: "Le Tour de France continues to be one of the most iconic occasions in the lifestyle calendar, and also benefits from an always increasing popularity of cycling as a healthy living pursuit. This gives us a very solid platform to build on in the UK and Eire, and we will be looking to work with partners across a wide range of categories who compliment the strong brand ethos." |
