It is worth a look in the rearview: twenty years ago, the red Škoda’s Superbs made their appearance on the Tour de France to help supervise the pack, commencing an adventure that witnessed the Czech carmaker switch from official supplier and White Jersey partner from its arrival on the race in 2004 to a different colour in 2015, namely the Green Jersey for the points classification.
This collaboration built on loyalty has constantly been nurtured by new perspectives and the next five seasons, for which Škoda has signed up again, will see it continue this culture of challenge. The partnership involves sponsoring the Green Jersey on La Vuelta and La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es, but also Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes with Zwift, and provides overall support for all women’s races, namely Paris-Roubaix Femmes with Zwift, the Flèche Wallonne Femmes and Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes.
Looking ahead to 2028 also makes it possible to imagine and develop new carbon footprint reduction plans. Already, the organiser’s entire fleet of light vehicles is made up of cars with hybrid engines and three fully electric Škoda Enyaq iV cars will be joining the fleet this year for several stages.
In total, 22 races organised by A.S.O., in France and abroad, will benefit from the professionalism of Škoda’s teams and the quality of their vehicles.
Yann Le Moënner, Managing Director of A.S.O.:
“I am very proud of Škoda’s commitment to us in several ways: in addition to its involvement in promoting both men’s and women’s cycling throughout the world, Škoda is a major player in the ecological transition of our races thanks to the alternatively powered vehicles that the brand is making more widespread on all the events. Its digital activations based on “we love cycling” or official mobile applications for our races also contribute to increasing the fans’ involvement and promoting the discipline to young people. This partnership is the perfect expression of our shared commitment to developing cycling in all its forms, both in France and abroad”.
Javier Guillén, general director of La Vuelta:
“We are delighted that Škoda renews its commitment to La Vuelta and La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es. Since they decided to join us in 2011, they have become one of our main allies. Especially when they made the leap in 2015 to sponsor the points classification and the green jersey, a garment whose identity is an inextricable part of this alliance.”
Klaus Zellmer, CEO of Škoda Auto
“Supporting the cycling mission of the world’s preeminent race organiser A.S.O. is an honour and privilege for us at Škoda Auto. After all, we started as a bicycle company almost 130 years ago, and cycling today is a passion for many of the everyday explorers who are our customers. We have been the main partner and car supplier of the Tour de France for the past 20 years, so it is only logical to now extend our relationship and support a growing portfolio of events – for men and women, professionals and amateurs. We want to help A.S.O. and the cycling community inspire people to pursue their highest personal standards of individual performance, teamwork and fairness”.
Martin Jahn, Škoda Auto Board Member for Sales and Marketing
“By continuing our trustful partnership with A.S.O. and the Tour de France, Škoda Auto reaffirms its strong connection to cycling and its fans worldwide. The Tour de France is the world’s most-watched cycling race. In 2023, it attracted nearly 150 million viewers in Europe alone. This exceptional visibility greatly benefits our products, offering us the opportunity to reinforce Škoda’s position as a key supporter of cycling and to celebrate the heritage of our brand”.
The 22 races organised with the support of Škoda:
Paris-Nice; Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Itzulia Basque Country Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Roubaix Femmes with Zwift; the men’s and women’s Flèche Wallonne races; the men’s and women’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège races; Eschborn-Frankfurt and Škoda Velotour; La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es; Tro Bro Leon, the Critérium du Dauphiné; the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes with Zwift; the Etape du Tour de France; Donostia Klasikoa – Classica San Sebastian the Deutschland Tour; La Vuelta; Paris-Tours.
