Who are the sponsors of cycling teams in 2024 and what do they do?

The sponsors are a fundamental piece in the gear of professional cycling. Teams base their very existence on the money provided by the names that adorn their jerseys, while companies hope to gain visibility, generate brand image and carve out a niche in the sector. In this article, we review all the sponsors of the World Tour teams for the 2024 season. 

The who's who of the 2024 World Tour sponsors: a guide to what each one does

Although changes in sponsors are common in the professional peloton, which each year undergoes a facelift with some farewells and some welcomes, so too are those that have become etched in the viewers' retinas. Commercial brands have been linked to cycling for a long time and the place has seen firms from beverages, supermarkets, watches, appliances and a long etcetera.

The mutual interest that exists between teams and sponsors is essential for the survival of the sport. The teams become a roving showcase that parades the brands on the roads and televisions of half the world.

Next, we review all the sponsors of the eighteen World Tour 2024 teams.

Alpecin-Deceunick

The Belgian team -present on the road, cyclocross, mountain, gravel- has made a name for itself with significant victories in all these categories and has been part of the World Tour since 2023.

Alpecin is a brand of anti-hair loss shampoo -famous for using a caffeine complex to inhibit the negative effect of testosterone on hair roots and give energy to the hair- and prides itself on being the best-selling hair soap in Germany. On the other hand, Deceuninck is a company of doors and windows that was born as a plastic producer.

Arkéa-B&B Hotels

The team has been part of elite cycling since 2005, although this season will be the first to carry this nomenclature -with which the French formation will be known for at least the next three campaigns-. 

Arkéa -the Crédit Mutuel Arkéa group- is made up of almost forty subsidiaries with business lines that include banks -for individuals, companies and institutions-, insurance, asset management, real estate services, B2B services and others. The conglomerate has a portfolio of about five million customers. On the other hand, B&B Hotels is a hotel brand known for offering low-cost accommodations and has a total of 761 spread across fifteen countries.

Astana Qazaqstan

Cycling sparked the interest of Kazakhstan in 2006, although it was a year later when Astana -the country's capital, which literally means 'capital' in Kazakh- was formed. The city acquired this name in 1998, changed to Nur-Sultan in 2019 and returned to being called Astana in 2022. Despite this, the cycling team always kept the name of Astana and two years ago added the name of the country.

Samruk-Kazyna is the team's sponsor; it is a fund -which has the Government as its only shareholder- that is an investment holding. This giant has a portfolio that includes a gas and oil company, airlines, the postal service and mining, among others.

Bahrain-Victorious

Another of the squads that have the support of a state. Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa founded one of the current points of cycling in which names like Pello Bilbao, Matej Mohoric, Santiago Buitrago or Damiano Caruso run. The money comes from several state companies: Bahrain Economic Development Board, Bapco, Balteco, National Bank of Bahrain, Al Salam Bank and Alba.

Bora-Hansgrohe

The German team has made one of the moves of the winter with the signing of Primoz Roglic. The main sponsorship is provided by Bora a manufacturer of kitchen extraction systems -with the particularity that it eliminates extractor hoods thanks to the fact that the surface on which the pans and pots sit sucks up the vapors-. 

Hansgrohe is a manufacturer -also German- dedicated to bathroom and kitchen accessories; that is, showers, faucets, thermostats or sinks, among others.

Cofidis

It is one of the four French teams that make up the peloton and one of the oldest in the place. Cofidis is a financial entity specialized in financing products and advice and belongs to the Crédit Mutuel group. In addition, it is linked to Spanish cycling as one of the main sponsors of La Vuelta and the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation.

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team

The team has been changing sponsors over time. The arrival of Decathlon was much talked about in the cycling scene; the huge chain of sports articles has 56 stores and a catalog that exceeds 150 sports disciplines. The brand is recognized for having affordable prices and, after gaining a significant presence in amateur cycling, since the creation of Van Rysel it aims at the cycling elite.

AG2R La Mondiale is an insurance and financial services company with a large presence in the business world or in collective agreements, among others, in its country of origin, France.

EF Education-EasyPost

 

The U.S. team, which includes riders such as Neilson Powless, Ben Healy and Rui Costa, is sponsored by EF Education First, an educational experiential learning company focused on languages, travel, cultural exchange and studies, with almost 60 years of experience and headquartered in Switzerland. EasyPost is a software company that facilitates shipping logistics by enabling companies to integrate operators.

Groupama-FDJ

Another of the peloton's veterans is sponsored by Groupama, a French insurance company that operates in a large number of countries around the world, and FDJ, France's national lottery.

INEOS Grenadiers

One of the bogeymen of cycling, heir to Team Sky and with the current name since 2020. INEOS is a giant dedicated to chemistry -chemicals, polymers, gas, oil, business and markets-, made up of 36 companies in 29 countries. It also has a presence in other sports such as Formula 1, rugby and sailing, among others.

The company also has several consumer brands, including INEOS Grenadiers, a line of SUVs.

Intermarché-Wanty

The Belgian team - present in the World Tour since 2021 - is sponsored by the Intermarché supermarket chain, which belongs to Les Mousquetaires - the same business group as Bricomarché and Netto - and has a strong presence in Portugal, Belgium and Poland. Wanty, for its part, is dedicated to construction and civil engineering, with a large portfolio of public works.

Lidl-Trek

The other American team in the peloton has as traveling companions Lidl -an international supermarket chain with great success in most of Europe- and Trek -one of the most recognized bike manufacturers in the world and with a long history in the sector-.

Movistar Team

The dean of the peloton that has lived through the evolution of the sport since it started pedaling at the elite level more than four decades ago. The sponsorship is provided by the telecommunications company Movistar, part of Telefónica.

Soudal-Quick Step

The team led by Patrick Lefevere has maintained over the years the sponsorship of Quick Step - Flemish manufacturer of laminate, vinyl and wood flooring - while Soudal - a building materials company - joined the project in 2023.

Team DSM-Firmenich-PostNL

The team of Romain Bardet, Fabio Jakobsen, Warren Barguil and company has a double/triple sponsorship from DSM - a corporation that encompasses businesses in nutrition, animal nutrition, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages - which was founded with Firmenich - a flavors and fragrances company for processed and canned products - in 2023. PostNL is a Dutch shipping company.

Team Jayco-AlUla

The Australian formation is sponsored by Jayco -manufacturer of motorhomes and trailer homes, among others- and AlUla -tourism office of the ancient Saudi Arabian city of Al-'Ula, a UNESCO World Heritage Site-.

Visma-Lease a Bike

The peloton's all-powerful team, which faces the departure of Jumbo, and which is configured with Visma -a software and consulting provider- and the arrival of Lease a Bike -a bike rental company for companies and their employees in several Central European countries; owned by Pon Holdings-.

UAE Team Emirates

United Arab Emirates is another country that took an interest in cycling. The initials of the state name the team (UAE) have been giving the team its name since 2017. For its part, Emirates is the airline that is part of The Emirates Group.