Who actually are the Tour de France team sponsors 2024? CyclistWho actually are the Tour de France team sponsors 2024?Professional cyclists have mainly raced in trade teams since the early days of the sport apart from a 30ish-year period when Tour de France organiser Henri Desgrange decided countries were the way forward meaning fans of the sport have a vast knowledge of companies they actually have no idea about, apart from getting excited when spotting one in B&Q.How much do you actually know about the brands whose names dominate the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes? Who is funding the biggest riders on the biggest stages? Whose logos are being etched in history on the roadside, on the TV, in pictures and on Netflix?Welcome to our complete guide to the companies (and countries) behind the teams of the mens and womens Tour de France, detailing what they do and who owns them. Related Posts Tour de France history: The return of the trade teams in 1962 Tour de France Femmes 2024 route announced ft. Alpe dHuez and a mini Monument All the WorldTour team bikes, tech and kit 2024 Mens Tour de France 2024: Route, how to watch and all you need to know AG Insurance-SoudalDario Belingheri/Getty ImagesAG Insurance-Soudal have been around since 2019 when they formed as Rogelli-Gyproc-APB, but they became NXTG Racing and stepped up to Continental level in 2020 before the Soudal-QuickStep mens team took control in 2023, tagging their sponsors on too. The QuickStep part of the name was dropped for 2024.AG Insurance is a Belgian insurance company that was founded all the way back in 1824 and works for both individuals and companies. Its 75% owned by the Ageas insurance group, which is Belgiums largest insurer, operates in 14 countries and is listed on the Euronext Brussels exchange. Four of Ageas biggest shareholders are private equity firms Fosun (one of Chinas biggest conglomerates, which owns Wolverhampton Wanderers among other things), SFPI-FPIM (Belgiums sovereign wealth fund), Vanguard (the second biggest asset management firm in the world) and Schroder (a London-based firm operating since 1800). The other 25% is owned by BNP Paribas Fortis bank.Soudal is a Belgian building materials company founded in 1966 that specialises in producing silicone, caulks, polyurethane foams and adhesive for businesses, professionals and consumers youll find its products in B&Q and other DIY shops. Its still owned by company founder Vic Swerts. Its technically part of the Soudal Group, with other brands in the group selling similar products worldwide.Alpecin-DeceuninckA.S.O./Billy CeustersMulti-discipline team Alpecin-Deceuninck (with previous title sponsors BKCP, Powerplus, Corendon, Beobank, Circus and Fenix who still sponsor the team) have been going since 2008 but actually only joined the WorldTour this season after the UCIs new promotion/relegation system meant they breezed in off the back of big wins from Mathieu van der Poel, Jasper Philipsen and co.If you watch cycling with adverts you know exactly what Alpecin is. A keen cycling sponsor with prior involvements with Giant-Alpecin and Katusha-Alpecin, Alpecin is a German shampoo brand that makes caffeine shampoo. Its part of the Dr Wolff Group, which includes seven brands specialising in hair, dental and skincare.Previous QuickStep sponsor Deceuninck is a Belgian window and door company that says it provides a combination of sustainability, design and comfort. Founded by the Deceuninck family from Flanders in 1937 as a small plastics producer, the Deceuninck NV group is listed on the Euronext Brussels stock exchange, with its main shareholders executive chairman Francis Jozef Willem van Eeckhout, vice-chairman Wilhelmus Hendrix and Frank Deceuninck with significant investment from various international asset management firms including Santander and BNP Paribas.Arka-B&B HotelsA.S.O./Billy CeustersArka-B&B Hotels are a French team from Brittany previously known as Arka-Samsic that have long been part of the furniture in big races as a ProTour team. They began life in 2005 as Bretagne-Jean Floch and have also had name sponsors from Armor Lux, Schuller, Sch Environnement, Fortuneo, Vital Concept and Oscaro. The womens team, Arka Pro Cycling were formed in 2020 and are Continental level.Arka comes from the French banking group Crdit Mutuel Arka, with nearly 40 subsidiaries. The company was originally set up in 1911 by Breton landowners who wanted to invest in the local countryside and now includes banks, insurers, asset management, real estate, B2B services and more. It is part of the Crdit Mutuel group, which consists of a vast number of banks and financial services companies across the world. Cofidis is owned by another member of this group.B&B Hotels previously sponsored a different French team that controversially folded before the 2023 season, it replaces Samsic in this team from 2024. B&B Hotels is a budget hotel chain founded in Brest, Brittany, in 1990 and currently operates in 15 countries. Goldman Sachs took over majority ownership of the company in 2019.Astana QazaqstanA.S.O./Thomas MaheuxAstana Qazaqstan were formed in 2007 after Astana initially stepped in as sponsor of the old Liberty Seguros-Wrth team in 2006 following the Operacin Puerto doping scandal. They were briefly co-sponsored by Premier Tech in 2021 but reverted to Astana as lone sponsor after Alexander Vinokourov rejoined as general manager. Mark Cavendish joined the team in 2023.Named after the capital city of Kazakhstan, the teams actual sponsor is called Samruk-Kazyna, which is Kazakhstans sovereign wealth fund. Samruk-Kazynas portfolio consists of companies within Kazakhstan, including the national railway, postal service, oil and gas company, uranium company and airline. Bahrain VictoriousA.S.O./Pauline BalletStarted in 2017 as Bahrain-Merida, they became Bahrain-McLaren in 2020 and Bahrain Victorious in 2021, funnily enough having most of their success once Victorious was added to the name.The team was created by the Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is third in line to the throne and a senior member of the government, including leading the Royal Guard and Supreme Defence Council. Financial support comes from state-owned Bahrain Economic Development Board, Bapco (Bahrain Petroleum Company), Batelco (Bahrain Telecommunication Company), National Bank of Bahrain, Al Salam Bank and Alba (Aluminium Bahrain) as opposed to a sovereign wealth fund.Red Bull-Bora-HansgroheRalph Denks Bora-Hansgrohe team started life in 2010 as Team NetApp and had spells with Endura and Argon-18 before they became the WorldTour staple of Bora-Hansgrohe in 2017. Its a very German affair although their biggest successes have come from Slovakian Peter Sagans Tour de France green jersey and Paris-Roubaix wins in 2018 and Australian Jai Hindleys Giro dItalia victory in 2022.At the beginning of 2024, Red Bull acquired a controlling stake in the German squad. Just before the Tour, the team will be revamped to show off their new sponsor. The Austrian-based megalodon is the worlds largest energy drink brand and the third most valuable soft drink on the globe, and has invested in many sports and athletes. Red Bull is 49% owned by Mark Mateschitz, the son of late co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, and 51% owned by Chalerm Yoovidhya, son of the other co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya.Bora is a German manufacturer of cooking extractor systems that do away with hoods, taking vapours back down into the kitchen unit to either clean it or get rid of it. Hansgrohe is a German manufacturer of sanitary fittings, ie, shower heads, hand showers and taps. It was founded in 1901 by Hans Grohe and is not to be confused with competitor Grohe, which was founded by Hans Grohes son. Bet their family Christmases were fun.Canyon-SRAM Luc Claessen/Getty ImagesOne of the Womens WorldTours biggest teams with probably the most recognisable sponsors in all of cycling, Canyon-SRAM (youll see it written as Canyon//SRAM but who uses slashes?) havent changed their name since they was founded in 2016 by former Velocio-SRAM team manager Ronny Lauke.Canyon is one of the worlds biggest bike brands, the German company producing the popular Aeroad and Ultimate bikes, which are also ridden by Alpecin-Deceuninck, Fenix-Deceuninck and Movistar.Chicago-based SRAM is one of the worlds two biggest component manufacturers, which also owns RockShox, Truvativ, Zipp, Quarq, Time and Hammerhead.Ceratizit-WNTCeratizit-WNTWomens Continental team Ceratizit-WNT was formed as British amateur team WNT in 2014, went pro three years later and became German in 2019 just before sponsor Ceratizit came on board. They previously had two years as WNT-Rotor. Riders include dominant British track cyclist Katie Archibald, though she wont feature in the Tour de France.Ceratizit is a manufacturer of cutting tools and safety equipment from Luxembourg. It operates across the world and holds over 1,000 patents. Its parts of the Plansee Group, a private Austrian company that also includes Plansee and Global Tungsten & Powders, focussing on the production and processing of tungsten and molybdenum for tools and components. WNT is part of the Ceratizit Group and specialises in the wholesale distribution of tools, it serves companies in the bike industry including Hope Tech and Rotor Bike Components, who previously sponsored the team.CofidisA.S.O./Pauline BalletA stalwart of the peloton, French team Cofidis have always been Cofidis since starting in 1997. The womens team was formed in 2022.Cofidis the company is a consumer loans company owned by Crdit Mutuel, which consists of a vast number of banks and financial services companies across the world, including Arka.Decathlon-AG2R La MondialeTim de Waele/Getty ImagesDecathlon-AG2R La Mondiale began life in 1992 as Chazal-Vanille et MreVetta and had a brief stint as Petit Casino before AG2R came on in 1997 and has stayed ever since, originally alongside Casino for three seasons then alone until 2021 when Citron joined the fun. Decathlon replaced Citron for the 2024 season on a five-year deal.Decathlon is a French sports retailer with stores in 56 countries spanning five continents. It sells products both from brands and in-house creations across all sorts of sports including cycling. Its widely known in cycling for its budget bikes sold under the B-Twin, Rockrider and Triban names but introduced the Van Rysel brand in 2019 to sell premium products. Van Rysel is providing Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiales bikes and kit from 2024. Decathlon is a family-owned company that was founded in 1976 by Michel Leclercq and its ownership is currently split into three: the Leclerq family have 40%, the Mulliez family have 40% and the employees have 20%. Grard Mulliez is Leclercqs cousin and is one of the richest men in the world, he founded French retail group Auchan and heads up the familys holding company, which has investments in a number of retail chains.AG2R La Mondiale is a French insurance and financial services company that operates worldwide, and is also Frances biggest pension provider. It was formed when the Paris-based AG2R Group merged with the Lille-based La Mondiale Group.DSM-Firmenich-PostNLA.S.O./Billy CeustersDSM-Firmenich-PostNL are the Dutch-viaGermany team thats been knocking around since 2005 under Shimano-Memory Corp, Skil Shimano, Argos-Shimano, Giant-Shimano, Giant-Alpecin and Sunweb before DSM took control in 2021. They stepped up to the WorldTour in 2013 as Argos-Shimano with the likes of Marcel Kittel, Tom Dumoulin, John Degenkolb and a young Warren Barguil. The womens team have been going since 2011 under various similar guises, with two years as Liv-Plantur and four as Team Sunweb before aligning as Team DSM in 2021. Both teams were renamed DSM-Firmenich for the 2023 Giro Donne and mens Tour de France following the merger of the two companies. PostNL joined the team in 2024.DSM is a health, nutrition and materials corporation that started life in 1902 as a state-owned coal mining company called Dutch State Mines. Within DSM there are businesses in animal nutrition, human nutrition, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and food and drinks. DSM merged with Swiss flavour and fragrance company Firmenich in May 2023 with the team soon reflecting that with a new logo and blue kit. The company is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam exchange with the biggest shareholders the worlds largest asset management firms including Norges Bank (Norways central bank), Capital Group (one of the biggest and oldest firms), Artisan Partners (a listed American firm), Amundi (one of Europes biggest firms), Vanguard and BlackRock (the worlds two biggest firms).Firmenich was founded in 1895, though it went under Chuit & Naef for the first few years until Fred Firmenich joined the company and became the majority owner. It produces fragrances and flavours for processed and preserved foods. Firmenich has acquired many smaller flavour companies over the years while staying as a private company, but merged with the public DSM in 2023. PostNL is a Dutch delivery company founded in 1998 when government-owned KPN took over Australian company TNT Limited; it was known as TNT NV until 2011, when TNT Express was separated and TNT NV became PostNL. Its currently listed on the Euronext stock exchange and its biggest shareholder is Vesa Equity Investment at 29.5%, with major investments from media tycoon John de Mol Jr and investment firms Vanguard Group, Norges Bank and EdenTree. Vesa is also the biggest shareholder in Royal Mail and Sainsburys is run by Czech billionaire Daniel Ketnsk, who owns the biggest energy group in Central Europe, co-owns Sparta Prague football team and is a shareholder and director at West Ham.EF Education-EasyPostA.S.O./Gatan FlammeJonathan Vaughters team have been going in various guises (barely keeping the same name for more than a season at a time) since 2003, when they were just a junior development team called 5280-Subaru. They went big time when Slipstream Sports took charge and Garmin became the main sponsor alongside Chipotle, Transitions, Cervlo, Barracuda, Sharp and Cannondale until 2016. EF Education First joined as the main sponsor from 2018 alongside Drapac and Cannondale before going it alone for two years, taking Nippo on board for 2021 and finally EasyPost from 2022.EF Education First is a Swiss-based, Swedish-founded education company that provides language training, educational travel, exchange programmes and academic programmes, its also known in some Asian countries as English First.EasyPost is an e-commerce software company that helps businesses use delivery services such as UPS, USPS and FedEx. The San Francisco-based company has 30 investors including Google Ventures, Ram Shriram (billionaire and one of Googles first investors and board members), Ashton Kutcher and several venture capitalist and start-up investment firms. FDJ-SuezA.S.O./Thomas MaheuxIconic French cycling sponsor FDJ joined the womens team formerly known as Vienne Futuroscope and Poitou-Charentes.Futoroscope.86 in 2017, going five years as FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine-Futuroscope before Suez joined in 2022. Although the sponsor and aesthetic is slightly different, FDJ-Suez are joined with the Groupama-FDJ mens team.FDJ is Franaise des Jeux, Frances national lottery. It used to be state-owned but the French government sold off most of its shares in 2019. Despite that, the government is still the biggest shareholder, backed up by several investment firms including BlackRock and Vanguard, the worlds two biggest asset management firms, and the Norwegian state-owned Norges Bank.Suez is not the canal, its a French utility company that works internationally mainly in water and waste management. Your local tip may be Suez-run. The company is listed on the Paris and Brussels Euronext exchanges and its biggest shareholders are infrastructure-focussed investment firms Meridiam and Global Infrastructure Partners.Fenix-DeceuninckA.S.O./Thomas MaheuxAlpecin-Deceunincks womens road team, Fenix-Deceuninck, was formed by the multi-discipline outfit in 2020 as Ciclismo Mundial and then Plantur-Pura, and joined the Womens WorldTour in 2023 to complete the roster of teams for a promotion/relegation cycle. Fenix-Deceuninck riders still race under Alpecin-Deceuninck in cyclocross and mountain biking.Fenix is a material for sinks and wall coverings developed by Italian manufacturer Arpa Industriale. Arpa specialises in producing high pressure laminate for interior design.Previous QuickStep sponsor Deceuninck is a Belgian window and door company that says it provides a combination of sustainability, design and comfort. Founded by the Deceuninck family from Flanders in 1937 as a small plastics producer, the Deceuninck NV group is listed on the Euronext Brussels stock exchange with its main shareholders executive chairman Francis Jozef Willem van Eeckhout, vice-chairman Wilhelmus Hendrix and Frank Deceuninck, with significant investment from various international asset management firms including Santander and BNP Paribas.Groupama-FDJARN/Aurlien VialatteMarc Madiots team have been a mainstay in cycling since they began in 1997 and mostly have had just the one sponsor in FDJ, which was briefly joined by BigMat in 2012. Groupama has been on board since 2018.Groupama is a French group of mutual insurance companies operating worldwide. Originally set up by farmers in 1840, the name stands for Groupe des Assurances Mutuelles Agricoles.FDJ is Franaise des Jeux, Frances national lottery. It used to be state-owned but the French government sold off most of its shares in 2019. Despite that, the government is still the biggest shareholder, backed up by several investment firms including BlackRock and Vanguard, the worlds two biggest asset management firms, and the Norwegian state-owned Norges Bank.Human Powered HealthBart Hazen via Human Powered HealthHuman Powered Health began life as Optum Pro Cycling in 2012 and spent a few years powered by Kelly Benefit Strategies before becoming Rally Cycling in 2016 and Human Powered Health in 2022 when the womens side stepped up to the WorldTour. Human Powered Health is a sports science company with physiologists that aim to help people improve athletically, putting customers through assessments before offering personalised recommendations on physical training, psychology, nutrition, equipment and recovery.Ineos GrenadiersA.S.O./Billy CeustersThere are some people who still call Ineos Grenadiers Team Sky. Dave Brailsfords British team was formed in 2009 with the aim of having a British Tour de France winner in five years, of course it was sooner than that as Bradley Wiggins won it in 2012. They became Team Ineos in 2019 and Ineos Grenadiers from the 2020 Tour de France. Ineos was formed in 1992 as Inspec by Jim Ratcliffe, a former private equity group director, in order to buy out BPs chemicals arm. Three years later when the company bought BPs ethylene oxide and glycol businesses, and renamed as Inspec Ethylene Oxide Specialties, which became Ineos a few years after that. The Ineos group now consists of 36 businesses in 29 countries, these include producing a wide range of plastics and chemicals for businesses, extracting oil and gas including shale, which is extracted through fracking a hygienics company started during Covid, the Belstaff clothing brand and producing the Ineos Grenadier. The Ineos Grenadier is a 44 off-road car designed to be a modern version of the original Land Rover Defender. It went into production in France in July 2022 and an electric version is said to start production in Austria in 2026. Ineos also has investments and sponsorships in Formula 1, sailing, rugby, running and football, most recently taking over a minority stake in Manchester United.Intermarch-WantyA.S.O./Billy CeustersIntermarch-Wanty started life as Willems Verandas in 2008, Accent joined the Belgian team as a sponsor in 2011 before Wanty came in 2013 and Gobert in 2014 for an extended run as Wanty-Groupe Gobert. Short periods as Wanty-Gobert, Circus Wanty Gobert and a couple of years as Intermarch-Wanty-Gobert Matriaux until 2023 when they became Intemarch-Circus-Wanty, Circus was dropped as name sponsor in 2024. They joined the WorldTour in 2021 when they bought the folded CCC teams licence and also have the Tormans cyclocross team. Intermarch is a French supermarket chain that you may have shopped in if youve holidayed in France, Belgium, Portugal or Poland. Its part of the Les Mousquetaires group, which includes stores like the Bricomarch DIY shops and Netto discount supermarket.Wanty is a Belgian construction and civil engineering company thats been going since 1946. It does all sorts of public works including roadworks, demolition, sewage, waste, quarrying building construction and more. Israel-Premier TechA.S.O./Billy CeustersThis team is difficult to pin down. It was founded in 2014 by Israeli business Ron Baron and former rider Ran Margaliot under the guise of Israel Cycling Academy. The team stepped up a gear when Canadian-Israeli millionaire Sylvan Adams joined the venture, eventually taking them onto the WorldTour level. Adams, despite ties with the Israeli state, denies that the team is state-sponsored. Instead, he says it solely bears the name of the country with the aim of promoting Israeli cycling.Premier Tech is a Canadian sustainable solutions firm. According to their website, they work with wastewater treatment, rainwater management, liquid storage, and recycling. Premier Tech was the former title sponsor of Astana Qazaqstan in 2021, before jumping ship to the Canadian-Israeli squad in 2022.RolandA.S.O./Thomas MaheuxMens team Israel-Premier Tech joined onto the Swiss Roland-Cogeas-Edelweiss Squad womens team for the 2023 season to create Israel-Premier Tech-Roland, with Cogeas having been a title sponsor since the teams inception in 2018. Mettler and Look joined as sponsors between 2018 and 2021 but stepped back as the team stepped up to the WorldTour. Israel-Premier Tech dropped out before the 2024 season and the team became Roland.Roland is a Swiss long-life baked goods company started by master baker Leopold Schffler in 1939. Its owned by French-speaking Swiss bakery group Cornu, which includes Roland, puff pastry snack manufacturer Cansimag and La Fabrique, and Swiss bread maker Holle. Jayco-AlUla / Liv-Jayco-AlUlaA.S.O./Oman Cycling Association/Pauline BalletAustralias Team Sky, Jayco-AlUla have had a pretty good run since forming in 2011 as GreenEDGE Cycling. Orica also came on board from their first season for six years, Scott Sports for four, Mitchelton for three and BikeExchange for two before Jayco joined in 2022 and AlUla stepped up to title sponsor for the 2023 season. The womens team merged with Liv Racing-Teqfind before the 2024 season to become Liv-Jayco-AlUla.Jayco is an American RV manufacturer started in 1968 by Lloyd and Bertha Bontrager (no relation to cyclings Bontrager, we think). It was bought out in 2016 by fellow US RV manufacturer Thor Industries, which has acquired several other RV manufacturers over the years and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Jayco Australia is a franchise owned by Australian businessman Gerry Ryan, who is a part owner of the Jayco-AlUla team and also owns former sponsor Mitchelton. Ryan was the president of Cycling Australia in 2013 and also has financial interests in a rugby league team, Aussie Rules football team, basketball teams and racehorses.The AlUla sponsor is the tourist board for the ancient city of Al-Ula in Saudi Arabia, which is packed with historic and archaeological sites, including UNESCO World Heritage Site Hegra. Experience AlUla, the tourist board, is run by the Royal Commission for Al-Ula, a Saudi Arabian government agency set up to preserve the city.Liv Cycling is the womens arm of Giant Bicycles, the worlds biggest bike manufacturer. Giant is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, with its biggest shareholder chairperson Bonnie Tu, and significant investment from asset management firms HSBC, GIC (run by the government of Singapore), Schroders (a London-based firm operating since 1800), Vanguard and BlackRock (the worlds two biggest firms). Related Posts Tour de France history: The return of the trade teams in 1962 Tour de France Femmes 2024 route announced ft. Alpe dHuez and a mini Monument All the WorldTour team bikes, tech and kit 2024 Mens Tour de France 2024: Route, how to watch and all you need to know Laboral Kutxa-Fundacin EuskadiA.S.O./Billy CeustersLaboral-Ktuxa-Fundacin Euskadi are a Basque team set up in 2019 and became a Continental team in 2021. They received a Wild Card invite for the 2024 Tour de France Femmes.Laboral Kutxa is a Basque-based credit union. The company has stood since 2012 when Caja Laboral and Ipar Kutxa merged. It provides banking, savings and investment services, is one of the largest financial companies in the Basque Country and one of the biggest credit unions in Spain. Its a workers co-operative, so is owned by its employees and customers.The Fundacin Euskadi is a long-standing Basque cycling foundation that has funnelled Basque riders since 1993. The foundation has supported the mens Euskadi team through its many iterations, usually in orange-coloured kit.Lidl-TrekA.S.O./Billy CeustersLidl-Trek are the American team that started life in 2011 as Luxembourg outfit Leopard-Trek with Andy and Frnk Schleck and several other former Saxo Bank riders. They became RadioShack-Nissan, RadioShack-Nissan-Trek and RadioShack-Leopard before a couple of seasons as Trek Factory Racing and Trek-Segafredo from 2016. The womens team are one of the pelotons most formidable squads headlined by Lizzie Deignan, Elisa Longo Borghini, Ellen van Dijk and Elisa Balsamo, they began life in 2018 as Trek Factory Racing and joining as Trek-Segafredo the following season. The team name changed to Lidl-Trek from 30th June, just in time for the Giro Donne and mens Tour de France.You probably already know Lidl, the German discount supermarket chain and Aldi rival with an excellent bakery, it operates in all EU countries as well as the UK, USA, Switzerland and Serbia. Lidl is part of and was set up by the Schwarz Group, which also owns the smaller Kaufland supermarket chain. Schwarz Group is owned by Dieter Schwarz, son of Josef Schwarz, company founder.Trek is one of the worlds biggest bike brands, set up in 1975 as part of appliance distributor Roth Corporation by Dick Burke and Bevil Hogg, when it began making steel touring bikes. Now Trek makes bikes across all genres including the Madone, Domane and Emonda road bikes, and owns the Bontrager components brand, Electra e-bikes and cycling holiday company Trek Travel. Trek is still owned by Roth Distributing Co.Lotto-DstnyA.S.O./Oman Cycling Association/Thomas MaheuxBelgiums traditional second team, Lotto-Dstny, have had plenty of sponsors over the years. Since 1985, the likes of Merckx, Adecco, Belisol and Soudal have appeared alongside Lotto.Lotto is the Belgian national lottery.Dstny is a business communications company that has been sponsoring the team now since mid-2022, though there is talk though that the company may pull funds from the team at the end of 2024. It was founded in 2001 by Samuel and Daan De Wever and was acquired by British private equity firm Apax Partners in 2019, however it was reported Apax was looking to sell its stake in 2023.MovistarDavid Ramos/Getty ImagesSpanish outfit Movistar are the oldest pro cycling team, having been racing since 1980 with ten years as Reynolds before 11 years as Banesto and a few as iBanesto.com before Illes Balears came aboard for three years. Caisse dEpargne were sponsors from 2005 until 2010 when Movistar took over. Big names have included five-time Tour winner Miguel Indurin. The Movistar womens team was formed in 2018.Movistar is a Spanish telecoms company that provides mobile, landline and broadband in Spain and Spanish-speaking American countries. Its part of the Telefnica group, which includes the Telefnica telecoms brand as well as Movistar, Virgin Media O2, O2 Germany, Vivo and Telxius. Telefnica was previously state-owned but is now fully listed on several stock exchanges. Its biggest shareholders are Spanish financial services companies BBVA and CaixaBank, Vanguard (the second biggest asset management firm in the world), Norges Bank (Norways central bank) and Amundi (one of Europes biggest asset management firms).SD Worx-ProTimeChloe Knott/London Marathon EventsSD Worx are the team in womens cycling right now, cleaning up in 2023 thanks to Demi Vollering, Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes and Marlen Reusser. The Dutch team have been racing and winning since 2010 when they were Dolmans-Landscaping and they had a long stint as Boels-Dolmans until 2021.SD Worx the company is a Belgian HR services company operating across Europe. Its parent company is WorxInvest, which was started in 2018 as SD Worxs investment arm, putting money into private equity funds as well as small- and medium-sized companies.ProTime is part of the SD Worx HR family. Founded 30 years ago, ProTime is a market-leader in time registration, access control and workforce planning. Fear no more, ProTime will keep your timetables in order.Soudal-QuickStepA.S.O./Jonathan BicheStarted in 2003 from the ashes of Domo-Farm Frites and Mapei-QuickStep, Soudal-QuickStep are the traditional big daddies of the peloton. The Belgian team run by Patrick Lefevere have always kept the QuickStep sponsor, which has been joined over the years by Davitamon, Innergetic, Omega Pharma, Etixx, Deceuninck and now Soudal, who came over from the Lotto team.Soudal is a Belgian building materials company founded in 1966 that specialises in producing silicone, caulks, polyurethane foams and adhesive for businesses, professionals and consumers, youll find its products in B&Q and the like. Its still owned by company founder Vic Swerts. Its technically part of the Soudal Group, with other brands in the group selling similar products worldwide.QuickStep can also be found in B&Q but not in the same aisle. Founded in West Flanders in 1960, QuickStep is a floor manufacturer, producing laminate, vinyl and wood floors for households. Its part of the Unilin Group, which consists of five divisions specialising in different areas of construction: floors (which includes but isnt limited to QuickStep), wood panels, insulation, research and development and carpeting. Tashkent City Women Professional Cycling TeamDario Belingheri/Getty ImagesTashkent City have had an atypical journey into the Tour de France Femmes peloton. The Uzbekh team barely raced outside Asia last season, accumulating most of its UCI points haul at the Uzbekh National Championships. The team was surprisingly announced in the Tour lineup this winter but has since attended more UCI WorldTour level races including the UAE Tour Women.The squad is named after the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, the largest city in the former Soviet nation, which has benefitted from historic ties to the Silk Road trade route. As the name suggests, the team is state-funded. According to insiders at the team, the state usually allocates funding for the Olympics and not the Tour thus making the Central Asian teams inclusion more bamboozling. The Uzbekhgovernment currently sits in the authoritarian status under The Economists Democracy Index, ranking towards the lower quartile.TotalEnergiesA.S.O./Billy CeustersJean-Ren Bernaudeaus team has had many names in the past, most notably Team Europcar. The team then rebranded in the mid-2010s to Direct nergie and then to Total Directnergie. In in mid-2021, the team settled on its simpler title: Team TotalEnergies.Following a big rebrand within Total, the company was renamed to TotalEnergies in 2021 and the team followed suit. The company is a household name in France. TotalEnergies is a petrol and energy company founded in 1924. The company accrues hundreds of billions in revenue each year and was ranked as the 21st largest public company in the world in the 2023 Forbes Global 2000.St Michel-Mavic-Auber93A.S.O./Thomas MaheuxSt Michel-Mavic-Auber93 are a French womens Continental team set up in 2012 as BigMat-Auber93, they have received Wild Card entries to all editions of the Tour de France Femmes.St Michel is a French food manufacturer, specialising in cakes and pre-made pastries. St Michel is ubiquitous with supermarket-stocked madeleines, the almond-flavoured cake shaped like a kayak. However, its more known for its galettes. These round biscuits are a staple of the northern French culinary canon. The team honoured the sponsors baking pedigree in 2023 by revealing a galette-shaped real wheel for the final days time-trial in Pau.Mavic is a French-based components brand. The company was founded in Lyon in the late 19th century under the name of Manufacture dArticlesVlocipdiquesIdoux etChanel. That was too long, so Mavic became the companys moniker therein. The firm, now based in Annecy, mainly produces wheels and has been owned by DIY specialists the Bourrelier Group in 2020 after almost going under, Cyclist visited the HQ in 2023.Auber93 is merely a local association to the teams HQ in Aubervilliers, Paris (hence Auber). The 93 stems from the dpartement of Seine-Saint-Denis, which is given the postcode 93. For reference, each French county, or dpartement, is given a different number postcode based on where the locales name falls in the alphabet.UAE Team ADQUAE Team ADQUAE Team ADQ have been going since 2011, starting as Mcipollini-Giordana, adding Giambenini for a year before becoming Al-Cipollini in 2014, adding Galassia to that for a year and then changing to Al-BTC Ljubljana for 2020 and 2021 when they stepped up to the WorldTour. At the start of 2022 the UAE Team Emirates mens team took over and rebranded the womens team in their image with ADQ instead of Emirates.UAE obviously refers to the United Arab Emirates, the country in the Middle East that took over UAE Team Emirates in 2017.ADQ is an investment company owned by the government of Abu Dhabi set up to help the diversify the UAEs income beyond oil.UAE Team EmiratesA.S.O./Billy CeustersUAE Team Emirates started life all the way back in 1999, they were the Lampre team from then until 2017 when UAE took over. While they were Lampre they had a few co-sponsors over the years in Daikin, Caffita, Fondital, NGC, Farnese Vini, ISD and Merida. These days, theyre the team of Tadej Pogaar.As mentioned above, UAE refers to the United Arab Emirates, the country in the Middle East.Emirates is the Dubai-based airline thats part of The Emirates Group, which owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai, the government of Dubais sovereign wealth fund.Uno-X MobilityA.S.O./Billy CeustersUno-X Mobility are a mens and womens team, although the the men arent in the WorldTour yet. Theyre a Norwegian team that started in 2010 but the women only got going in 2022 and went straight into the sports top level. They were known as Uno-X Pro Cycling until 2024. The mens team is exclusively Norwegian and Danish riders but the womens team includes British trio Joss Lowden, Elinor Barker and Hannah Barnes.tUno-X Mobility is a fuel station chain that operates in Norway and Denmark and includes ultra-fast electric vehicle charging and a car wash. Its part of Reitan Retail, which is the retail arm of the Reitan conglomerate, with other businesses in the group a property company and an investment company. Retain Retail includes the 7-Eleven and Rema 1000 chains and Uno-X joined the group in 2006 when Reitan bought Hydro Texaco in Norway and Denmark. Reitan is still run by the Reitan family who started the company in 1948. Odd Reitan, the son of founder Ole, is the chair, CEO and owner of Reitan. Visma-Lease a BikeVisma-Lease a BikeVisma-Lease a Bike are one of the oldest teams in the modern peloton. Founded in 1984 as Kwantum-Decosol with most of the squad coming from the folded TI-Raleigh team, the multi-discipline and multi-sport (they also have a speed skating team) Dutch team have been at the top of the sport for decades and despite nearly folding in 2012, are back at the top. Having been around for so long, there have been many iterations, most not lasting very long, but most famously they were Rabobank from 1996 to 2012. The Jumbo-Visma womens team launched in 2021. Dutch supermarket chain Jumbo reduced its sponsorship at the end of 2023 and the team became Visma-Lease a Bike.Visma is a Norwegian software provider, IT developer and consultancy founded in 1996 after three business merged. It operates across Europe and is mostly owned by private equity firm Hg, which is ranked 17th on Private Equity Internationals 2022 ranking of the worlds biggest private equity firms. Visma is one of the firms biggest investments.Lease a Bike is, unsurprisingly, a bike leasing company that leases bikes to companies and their employees in Germany, Austria, Netherlands and Belgium. Its owned by Pon Holdings, a Dutch transport conglomerate that already had a stake in the team as owners of Cervlo bikes. Pons portfolio also includes Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Cannondale, Cupra, Focus, GT Bicycles, Lamborghini, Nimbl (the teams shoe provider), Porsche, Reserve Wheels, Santa Cruz, Schwinn, Seat, koda, Urban ArrowS and Volkswagen. Pon was founded in 1980 by former racing driver Ben Pon Jr. and its still owned by the Pon family. Related Posts Tour de France history: The return of the trade teams in 1962 Tour de France Femmes 2024 route announced ft. Alpe dHuez and a mini Monument All the WorldTour team bikes, tech and kit 2024 Mens Tour de France 2024: Route, how to watch and all you need to know The post Who actually are the Tour de France team sponsors 2024? appeared first on Cyclist.
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