Economics of Tour de France

Wheels of Happiness

It is shrouded in secrecy.  But caravans consisting of trucks advertising their goods and giving out promo items, spend up to $600,000 to join the caravan.  The caravan might be a km long and take 30- minutes to finish.  

A team can spend up to $20M for the tour:  bike, team vehicles, riders salaries.

LCL pays $4 -10M for so that their name is in the yellow jersey.

Revenues of TDF ranges from $50 - $100M.  Big deal eh?

Guessing revenues of Tour de France

• 34 staff members (mechanics, drivers, sports doctors, nutritionists)
• 55 bikes (6 per rider), at ~$13k each
• 80 spare wheels, 82 spare cassettes, and 57 spare chains
• 4,360 energy gels and bars + 3,300 water bottles
• 40 bottles of massage cream
• 100 rolls of bar tape (changed every 4 days)
• 5 air purifiers, 9 AC units, and 9 dehumidifiers

All in, today’s top-level cycling teams can easily exceed a $20m annua

Bike caravan from Angono to Cardona and back to Angono

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
November 13, 2016

                                                           En route to finish line at Wawa

The main street of Angono in front of the municipal hall was blocked this morning.  Reason, about hundreds or thousand riders of all types, roadies and MTB were waiting for the starting gun for a fun caravan ride that would cover Angono, Binangonan Cardona, that would cover 26 km. Entry fee is P350  (there must be a thousand participants) They wore green and white jersey (green is fluorescent)

I joined the caravan on the way back from  Binangonan to Angono.  I overtook it though at Tagpos

The pace is slow but there is a lot of jockeying to be at front of peloton from every body.  PUSO MC riders led the group and there were 2 ambulances that supported the ride.

                                                Near Island Gas at Calumpang

                                                    There must be a thousand of them