Cycling | “This is like a family” – a strange caravan travels around France, which confuses people

Cars Alpine horns are blaring and from far away you can hear music coming from loud speakers and shouts of mood lifting.

They are called by an employee of the sponsoring company behind a giant chicken harnessed to the roof of the car. A promotional caravan of the Tour of France is approaching, which makes people sweat.

According to the Tour organization, 47 percent of spectators come to the roadside primarily to watch this hose.

Caravan started in 1930, when the Tour de France needed new funding.

Tour leader Henry Desgranges wanted that instead of commercial teams, there would be national teams in the competition, who ride similar bikes provided by the competition organizer. He brought in the largest brands in France as advertisers and the recipe was ready.

Already in the first year there were more than 40 cars in the line. Its size grew year by year and already at the end of the 1970s we reached the current number of cars.

This year, the Tour’s advertising caravan is 150 vehicles long and features 33 partners. 570 people work in Letka, and in addition there are a total of 170 mechanics, supervisors and logistics coordinators.

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“Sometimes we have big ideas, the implementation of which we have to think about.”

The caravan starts on the route of the day’s stage two hours before the riders. Fans waiting for the cyclists will be able to take in a procession that is more than half an hour and ten kilometers long, which is a bit like a three-week bench race.

In fancy dress instead of high school students, the audience is entertained by the most special advertising carts that ride on top of a car, from a several-meter-tall Haribo teddy bear to huge LCL bank cyclist figures in a yellow shirt pedaling on the bow of a hose.

Spectators may get candy from the cars in this case as well, but there are also, among other things, small permanent sausages, cookies and various caps.

Cars usually slow down to throw or distribute gifts in places where many spectators have gathered. For example, it is not allowed to distribute goods in nature parks, right near the finish area or in Paris.

Only partners of the Tour can join the caravan.

We don’t want the car line to grow longer than 170 cars, so some sponsors have to wait for a place until someone else drops out.

“Some have been in the caravan for only one year, but for example LCL has been our partner for over 40 years and Škoda for 20 years,” says the advertising caravan manager of Amaury Sport Organization (Aso), which organizes the Tour Aurelien Janssens.

Every company has at least two cars in the advertising convoy, the biggest partners can have a dozen of them. The cooperation agreement determines the place in the pipeline, and the advertising amounts are not disclosed.

“LCL is always first, the yellow shirt has their logo and they put a lot of money into the partnership. According to our partners, being part of the caravan brings more value and visibility than a prime time TV ad.”

Advertising caravan a group of eight advertising agencies is responsible for building the cars.

The cars and the structures built into them must meet strict safety criteria for all conditions encountered on the route. Aso follows the completion of the cars half a year before the competition.

The advertising agency Ideatif is involved in the design of four to eight different brand advertising vehicles each year.

Customer manager by Pierre Fresnais According to

In addition to safety, the cars must be ergonomic for the caravan workers – even if the worker swings on the roof of the vehicle for three weeks, attached to a harness in different ways.

The height of the structures has been limited, but the biggest cars go around on a slightly different route in places, for example due to bridge crossings.

“Of course, aesthetics are also important, but the structures must be solid. Sometimes we have big ideas, the implementation of which we have to think about. For the spectators, it’s a big party,” says Fresnais.

For example, Škoda, coming third in the caravan line, has renewed its car for this year due to new brand colors.

Cages for employees have been built behind the passenger cars. At the front is a tall convertible-like vehicle that can accommodate several people. A bike and a large billboard are also attached to it.

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“The best thing is if I see somewhere after the Tour, for example, the bag distributed from the caravan in use.”

Aso inspects the promotional gifts to be distributed in addition to the cars in the caravan.

Nowadays, the use of plastic as a packaging material is prohibited, and items thrown from the car must not be too light or hurt the public.

All in all, more than six million different gifts are distributed from cars during the Tour.

“Gifts must be interesting and environmentally sustainable. We want brands to provide everyday items that can be used later. T-shirts, caps and food are good examples, they don’t go straight to the trash,” says Aurélien Janssens.

“Sometimes signs were distributed from the caravan, for example, on which you can write incentives for the riders, but they have been given up. The best thing is if I see somewhere after the Tour, for example, the bag distributed from the caravan in use.”

Škoda has two people in each car to distribute goods to both sides of the road.

In total, the company will distribute 600,000 gifts along the route this year, mostly t-shirts, caps and key chains, which as a big sponsor, it will also be able to distribute ahead of the actual caravan.

There are 43 people working in Škoda’s bread for Tour advertising, 16 of whom are involved in the cars of the caravan. The rest are responsible for, among other things, the exhibition stalls at the starting point and the cars before the race.

“Every year, we carefully examine what kind of visibility we have gained for the brand during the Tour. Now it was improved with new colors. For example, we distribute Škoda advertising sheets to the caravanners on many of the stages, so that we can get in touch with them,” says Océane Arnould-Dupuythe company’s head of sports sponsorship in France.

Tuesday Škoda’s largest caravan that started the route from Saint-Gervais was carrying the winners of the spectator competition.

The head of Škoda’s caravan team followed the procession in a car that came behind Valentin Frachetfor whom this Tour is already the seventh in the procession, the third in the car company’s bread.

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“This is like a family.”

He arrives in the car after the caravan workers’ mood-lifting dance every morning. It entertains the audience that has arrived.

Frachet’s responsibility is to manage the communication between Škoda cars and to agree on the places where the gifts will be distributed as permitted by the rules.

“In the very first year, I learned to be careful with the people along the route.”

Him it’s about a month-long summer wash, as some of the cars will continue after the men’s finish for the women’s Tour, which starts on Sunday.

According to Frachet, there are many students, but also pensioners and, for example, teachers on their summer vacation. The average age of the staff is 28 years.

“This is like a family. I have continued in the caravan because the atmosphere is very positive and enthusiastic, and there are different people involved.”