Long-standing Tour de France partner since 1981 and Yellow Jersey sponsor since 1987, LCL renews its commitment for the following five editions of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
In addition to its partnership with the Tours de France, LCL is associated with the following French cycling events organised by A.S.O., both professional and amateur: Paris-Nice, Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, Paris-Roubaix Challenge, Critérium du Dauphiné, l'Étape du Tour de France and Paris-Tours.
The story began in Nice, where the Grand Départ of a Tour de France, once again dominated by Bernard Hinault, was held in 1981. At that time, Crédit Lyonnais was making its first appearance as a partner of the Grande Boucle. After joining the adventure, the French bank was called upon to play an even more visible role by associating itself with the Yellow Jersey from 1987 for an edition that also marked the history of the event with a peloton assembled in Berlin for the start that was the most distant from France at the time. At the finish of stage one, it was the first time a Polish rider, Lech Piasecki, took control of the general classification. Three weeks later, the final Yellow Jersey headed to Ireland thanks to Stephen Roche, who paraded down the Champs-Elysées in the company of Jeannie Longo, also decked out in yellow after her first victory in the women's Tour de France.
Since then, the Yellow Jersey has travelled around France on the shoulders of cyclists from almost every continent, with Asia still in the queue: Greg LeMond has most proudly represented North America with three victories, whilst the Colombians had to wait until 2019 for Egan Bernal to conquer the ultimate prize. Australia first enjoyed the honour of yellow with Phil Anderson and Robbie McEwen, among others, before Cadel Evans triumphed on the Champs-Elysées in 2011. Africa joined the Yellow Jersey club for two days in the summer of 2013 with Daryl Impey, and the European cycling scene continued to expand in the 21st century with British victories by Bradley Wiggins (2012), Chris Froome (2013-15-16-17) and Geraint Thomas (2018), Slovenian victories by Tadej Pogacar (2020-21) and Danish victories by Jonas Vingegaard (2022-23).
The most prized emblem on the cycling planet occupies a special place in the hearts of the riders, with English speakers nicknaming the little lion king who accompanies each Yellow Jersey presentation and whom they collect with care "Mufasa" for those who earn the privilege. The bond created with the cyclists is associated with an intimate relationship with the public, who are amazed by the exploits of the Yellow Jerseys and enthralled by the vehicles in the caravan. The XXL champion and the giant lion cub that leads the parade each day are also among the characters who count for millions of roadside spectators. It promises numerous encounters until July 2028, and why not even further?
In addition to its sporting partnership with A.S.O., LCL is also a partner to all cyclists by encouraging the use of bicycles on a daily basis, whatever the purpose. This commitment extends to actions for employees (sustainable mobility package for cycling to work, Gold-level Pro-Vélo Employer label for the Villejuif campus) as well as for customers and prospective customers (preferential-rate financing offers for the purchase of a bicycle).
Michel Mathieu, Chief Executive Officer of LCL :
"Since the 1980s, LCL and the Tour de France have forged strong links based on trust, respect and listening. Cycling, the Yellow Jersey and the Tour de France are now part of the lives of LCL teams and their customers ... We are delighted to continue the adventure for another five years and to be, more than ever, the essential partner of all cyclists".
Yann Le Moënner, Chief Executive Officer of A.S.O. :
"The word historic takes on its full meaning when you realise that this new agreement marks the fiftieth anniversary of the relationship between LCL and the Tour de France. This golden jubilee, as it were, is a rarity in the world of sport, and this joint adventure around the Yellow Jersey will therefore continue and be enriched by new challenges in the future for the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes with Zwift, in particular the shared desire to continue to develop an ambitious policy for cycling mobility. In this way, LCL, whose ambition is to support all forms of cycling, will be able to work alongside us on a number of initiatives aimed at young people and women, who are increasingly taking up cycling in the broadest sense of the term. As for the Yellow Jersey, a symbol of excellence, it will serve as a means of revealing the best players in a wide variety of fields.”
