The French Cycling Federation and In-Yellow selected SPORTFIVE to support them in the marketing of the rights of a new multidisciplinary professional cycling team

On February 6, 2013, David Lappartient, President of the French Cycling Federation, announced the creation of a multidisciplinary and mixed professional cycling team. This innovative project, a world’s premiere, revolutionizes the current model of world cycling.

Composed of the best French riders, men and women, this professional team includes all the disciplines of cycling (Track cycling, BMX, Mountain biking, Cyclo-cross and Road cycling) in the frame of the UCI World Tour.

This ambitious project seeks to enable French athletes to succeed at the highest level, providing them with best-in-class financial, technical, and human resources. Specifically, the new team will benefit froman exceptional logistics platform: the new National Cycling Centre of St Quentin en Yvelines and its velodrome offering 5.000 seats,which will open its doors in December 2013.

This ultra-modern and innovative tool will embody the spirit of the team. On the one hand, the creation of a professional team dedicated to the excellence and training of French riders must, allow the FCC to recover its position as thehe world’s best cycling federation across all disciplines. On the other hand, this will reinforce the influence of France on the international stage. This unique project offers an exceptional opportunity for brands wishing to partner with a project of international reach, backed by the excellence of the French cycling sector.

In order to create the best conditions for success in the marketing of the team, the French Cycling Federation and its official marketing agency, In-Yellow Consulting, have called on Sportfive as the exclusive agent for the sale of the team’s marketing rights. A leader in the management of marketing and media sports rights in Europe and Africa, Sportfive provides the team with its expertise in the field of sports, including the ability to understand the value of sports partnerships in brand and business strategies, to enhance the value of marketing rights, and to support brands and right holders in the activation of their rights. Sportfive will build on the international network of Lagardère Unlimited.

David Lappartient, President of the French Cycling Federation: “Our federal project “Together for cycling” revolves around major strategic axes responding to fresh ambitions and a permanent commitment to excellence and ethics. While our federation performs, has a great dynamic and benefits from a strong growth in the number of licensees, it is important that we also perform in the professional sector, which is a showcase for our sport. The establishment of an ambitious French professional team will allow us to coherently structure our national cycling and, above all, to set a steady stage for its development globally. Cycling in France is more than just a sport, more than just a means of transport, it is a state of mind, a community that is growing every day. This project is unique in its diversity andis based on five major disciplines. To succeed in this project, we need skills, and we need the mobilization of all economic and sport actors to make our country the world’s leading nation across all cycling disciplines.”

Vincent Tong Cuong, Director General of Sportfive France: “We are particularly proud to have been chosen by the French Cycling Federation as the exclusive agency for the sale of marketing rights of this new team. It comes asa recognition of our expertise in premium, innovative and global rights that allowed us to win this contract. We will put all the skills of SPORTFIVE at the service of the Federation to foster the commercial and media promotion of this project. “
In-Yellow Consulting, official marketing agency for FFC for the next four years, in charge of the marketing and the management of the exclusive rights of the FFC until 2016, will lead the project on behalf of the French Cycling Federation and therefore will work in close collaboration with Sportfive in charge of the marketing of the professional team.
All these factors are assets which should enable the French Cycling Federation to find a fitted partner for this ambitious project, eager to promote the French excellence in sport.

• Sportfive website