Tour de France appeases winemakers

The organisers of the Tour de France have reached a sponsorship agreement with French winemakers who threatened to block parts of the route in protest.

Tour winner Bradley Wiggins pictured during the 2012 Tour de France (Photo: Wiki)

Last month wine producers in the Languedoc expressed their anger at the news that Chilean wine brand Cono Sur and its ‘Bicicleta’ label had been chosen as a sponsor of the renowned cycling event.

Winemakers in the region said they would disrupt the Tour as it passed through the Languedoc this July as part of Stage 11 of the race.

But organisers have now reached an agreement with producers to allow them to showcase their products during the race, according to reports.

The Tour de France’s head, Christian Prudhomme, met with winemakers at the Paris Agriculture Fair last week at the invitation of Jerome Despey, FranceAgriMer’s head of French wine producers, according to sport website Ten Play.

“There is no problem at all,” Prudhomme is quoted saying. “Wine producers and cooperatives can promote their products on the Tour de France, as they can with our upcoming [now current] race Paris-Nice.”

Bicicileta will remain the Tour’s sponsor in its promotional events outside of France as was always intended and Dempsey said the matter is now closed.