Center Stage: Continental in the Thick of the Action at the Tour de France as Sponsor and Equipment Supplier

Hanover, July 24, 2023. Passenger car and bicycle tires shared the spotlight as the Continental brand – in its dual function as an equipment supplier and one of the main sponsors – soaked up the worldwide media gaze during the 110th Tour de France. 1,800 accredited journalists, 100 television stations and 7,800 hours of broadcasting across almost 200 countries told the story of the Tour de France 2023. Around two billion people followed the drama on TV, while 10-12 million spectators flocked to the roadside to watch the racing live. Englishman Adam Yates got the action started with his first ever stage victory, Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar and Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard laid on an epic handlebar-to-handlebar duel that lasted for much of the race and Jordi Meeus from the German Bora-Hansgrohe team crossed the finish line first in the prestigious final sprint on the Champs-Élysees. This year once again, six of the pro teams – INEOS Grenadiers, Movistar, Bahrain Victorious, Wanty-Gobert-Intermarche, UAE Team Emirates und Groupama-FDJ – benefitted from the quality and reliability of the high-tech race tires made in Korbach, Germany. Five of the top ten riders in the general classification were racing on Continental tires.

“The Tour de France captures the public imagination like arguably no other sporting event worldwide. The athletes experience both joy and suffering, they create dramatic storylines and the stage winners embed themselves in the memory for decades to come. This summer was no different – and Continental was center stage at all times,” sums up Enno Straten, Head of Strategy, Analytics & Marketing – EMEA. “We are proud that we were able to make a significant contribution to a safe and sustainable Tour de France.”

After some 3,400 kilometers of racing, Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) repeated his victory of last year, ahead of Pogačar and Yates – both of UAE Team Emirates and therefore both on bikes fitted with Continental tires. Pogačar also won the white jersey awarded to the best young rider. In total, eight of the 21 stages were won by riders using Continental tires.

The Grand Prix 5000 S TR tires are developed and manufactured at Continental’s tire plant in Korbach. The Grand Prix 5000 S TR is lighter and faster than its predecessors and has stronger sidewalls, enabling it to set a new benchmark in tubeless ready technology. The tire also stands out with its optimum balance between weight and mileage, speed and comfort, and speed and puncture resistance, making it the ideal race option. It provides a faster, more comfortable ride with increased puncture protection – key attributes for the conditions the riders and bikes encounter in the Tour de France. Indeed, the progress made with tire technology has played a significant role in the ever increasing average speeds recorded in the world’s original bicycle stage race: From 25 km/h in its inaugural edition, the figure has now exceeded 41 km/h, this despite the route profile getting steadily more challenging over the years.

As in recent years, the official vehicles of the Tour organizers were also fitted with Continental tires for their journey through France. The PremiumContact 6 and EcoContact 6 offered another demonstration of their proven attributes at the 2023 event. Both tires bring together comfort, precise steering response, exceptional safety and good environmental credentials into a single package. This allows them to rise expertly to the challenge as the support vehicles negotiate the rain-soaked switchback bends of mountain descents at breakneck speed, as well as long miles on the flat and sunbaked climbs up to mountain-top finishes above the tree line. All of the passenger car tires fitted here are made at the Sarreguemines plant in France and feature the innovative ContiRe.Tex technology.

Continental will return to the Tour de France as a sponsor and equipment supplier once again next year. The 2024 edition of the world’s toughest cycle race will get underway in Florence on June 29 for the first of three stages in Italy. And for the first time in its history, the Tour will end not in Paris, but in Nice.