Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) has added prominent confectionery brand M&Ms as the latest sponsor of the iconic annual Tour de France cycle race in a last-minute deal ahead of the 2026 edition.
Covering both the men’s Tour de France and the women’s Tour de France Femmes, M&Ms will take up prominent branding presence along the race route, including the famed pre-race sponsor caravan.
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With its six-vehicle position on the caravan, M&Ms will create giveaways, sample pack distributions, and other branding opportunities.
M&Ms' owner Mars Wrigley points to the race’s strong and “growing” fanbase in the US, the candy brand’s home market, as a particular driver behind the partnership.
To this end, the success of US riders such as home national champion Quinn Simmons (who took home the ‘Super teammate award’ in the 2025 edition) of Lidl-Trek and Brandon McNulty of the hotly-tipped UAE Team Emirates – XRG, will be important.
Speaking on the announcement, Mars Wrigley France president and chief executive Victoria Abramova said: “This partnership [allows] us to engage millions of fans on the road and on screens worldwide during one of the most prestigious events in global sports."
This year, the Tour de France will run from July 4 to 26, with the Grand Depart (the first three stages) to be held in Spain.
The women’s edition of the race, known because of a title sponsorship tie-up as the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, will run from August 1 to August 9, with the Grand Depart taking place across Switzerland.
ASO has also struck a new partnership for the 2026 Vuelta a España, another of the sport’s three ‘Grand Tours’ (of which two are organized by ASO), with Komoot becoming the race’s official route planner.
Across the event, interactive route maps created by Komoot will be integrated into the Vuelta’s digital platforms and mobile app, including exclusive hiking and cycling routes mapping the surrounding regions aimed at promoting fan engagement.
“La Vuelta traces some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Europe, and for years our community has been riding and hiking those very same roads and trails,” said Komoot head of local marketing Eva Kuprella.
She continued: “Partnering with La Vuelta lets us turn that inspiration into action, giving every cycling fan and outdoor enthusiast a direct path from watching the race to experiencing those places for themselves. Spain has an extraordinary wealth of terrain to explore, and together we want to make sure people don't just follow La Vuelta from the sofa, but go out and live it.”
The 2026 Vuelta will run from August 22 to September 13, with the Tour de France Grand Depart taking place in Spain, the Vuelta’s own first three stages (the Gran Partidas) will take place across Monaco and France.
