The Tour de France Just Got a Surprising New Partner

The Tour de France got an unusual addition to its portfolio of partners this week.

McCain.

The Canadian purveyor of frozen potato products announced Wednesday it will become “official fries of the Tour de France” for the next five years.

This summer, McCain will place a “flagship food truck” in fan zones at the Barcelona grand départ and on stage 7 into Bordeaux as part of an “ambitious integrated marketing plan.”

Sadly for spectators, the partnership doesn’t seem to include a float in the caravan that rolls along distributing tat to expectant roadside fans.

The news may seem to butt up against the notion of the Tour as the celebration of sporting greatness, of elites at the top of the game.

But it makes a lot of sense, we guess.

According to the press release, “fries have long been part of the shared rituals that surround live sport.”

The partnership in fact marks McCain’s return to the Tour de France having previously partnered with the race from 2014 to 2018.

Because who doesn’t love some salty snacks while watching some mid-summer bike racing?

Personally speaking, we’re more prone to a bag of pretzels while watching sports, but frozen fries will do as second-best.

The McCain collaboration is a timely reminder of the marketing power of the Tour de France.

What self-respecting brand – sports adjacent or not – doesn’t want a slice of a historic event that draws millions of viewers across the world?

For example, race organizers ASO recently hailed French national rail network the SNCF as an “official supplier” of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes.

This summer, the men’s peloton will enjoy its own chartered TGV for the journey from the Alps to Paris after stage 20 ahead of the grand finale on the Champs-Elysees.

And, of course, dozens of candy and junk-food brands buy into low-key slots on the publicity caravan.

What’s the next off-kilter but marketing-savvy brand that could hook up with Le Tour?

The Katusha team famously signed up with a caviar supplier in 2015. Ever been tempted by a $200 tin of sturgeon roe while watching bike racing?