Press Release
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Continental and Tour de France: A success story for
over 100 years
Hanover, June 2013. Three weeks, 21 stages, 2,400 kilometres (2,110 miles). Mountaintop
finishes, high-speed descents, muscle-bursting sprint efforts, battles against the clock. And
constant attempts to get away, to form a break. Refuelling, following wheels, going on the
attack. No rest for the wicked! And then there's the weather. The blistering heat, the torrential
rain, the strong winds. Fighting for space on narrow roads, tight corners. For a cyclist, the
Tour de France is the hardest race of all.
But the Tour de France is a demanding challenge for more than just the world's hardest
professional cyclists, for more than just the 198 hardy souls who will line up at the start of the
100th Tour de France on the Mediterranean island of Corsica on Saturday. It is also the
ultimate test for the tires on the riders' high-tech bikes. Two or three square centimeters of
tire form the rider's only contact point with the road. The riders often have to take quick
decisions in extreme situations, and they are sensitive high-level athletes. So for professional
cyclists in the Tour teams, absolute confidence in their tires is crucial. Tires are one area
where riders are not willing to take chances. Only the best is good enough.
That's why several top teams choose high-performance tires made by Continental in
Korbach, Germany – as they have done for many years now. The small town of Korbach is
where Continental make top-level tires, by hand. This year, the BMC Racing, Lotto Belisol,
Orica Green Edge and Lampre Merida teams will be drawing on the expertise of
Continental's leading tire experts.
Professional cycling teams use tubular tires for races like the Tour de France. These are
different to the the clincher tires used by most amateur cyclists, which fit over a separate
inner tube. The tubular tires, or tubs, that the professionals use are one-piece tires that have
a single stitched seam. That makes tubular tires very light and very flexible. And the tires
have to be able to withstand being inflated to very high pressures. Whereas most leisure
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Your contact:
Klaus Engelhart, Tel.: + 49 (0) 511 938 2285
Press Release
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cyclists might pump their tires up to a pressure of six bar, professional cycling teams inflate
their special tires to pressures of up to 15 bar.
These very high pressures reduce the rolling resistance. Which means that the bike glides
along the road more easily, so on long stages, which can cover up to 240 km (150 miles), the
riders can conserve their energy. Over long distances, or on a very steep climb, that energy
saving can add up to a lot of strength left in their legs at the finish. Another benefit of tubular
tires is that they are glued to the rim of the wheel, so they can't come off if a rider punctures.
But no two days on the Tour de France are ever the same, and a professional rider's needs
will change for each stage. The mechanics will change the rider's tires to match that day's
profile, or the weather, or the stage conditions (a time trial, a flat stage or a mountain stage).
From their specialist tire centre in Korbach, Continental are able to offer three different tires
to meet these different needs. For flat or rolling stages, a strong and reliable all-rounder is
ideally suited. Then, just like in motor racing, there are special wet-weather tires for use on
wet, slippery roads. So the cycling teams all have the latest communication tools in order to
get accurate weather forecasts.
Time trials represent a particular challenge for the German tire manufacturers in Korbach,
with the rider racing alone and against the clock. This highly specialised cycling discipline
calls for particularly light tires. This year's Tour features three time trial stages (one team time
trial, and two individual time trials). And in time trials, every gram saved is energy that the
rider doesn't need to expend. So saving weight is important, as is aerodynamic clothing,
helmets and wheels – and tires, of course! For a time triallist, having a highly professional
well-balanced overall set-up is vital if they are to succeed.
And when it comes to going as fast (and successfully) as possible on tires, both Continental
and the Tour de France can look back on more than 100 years of tradition. Because
Continental have been making special racing tires for over 100 years, although today's hightech tires are a lot narrower, lighter and faster than our first race tires. The last time a rider
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Your contact:
Klaus Engelhart, Tel.: + 49 (0) 511 938 2285
Press Release
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won the Tour on Continental tires was two years ago, when the Australian Cadel Evans,
leader of the BMC team, was the overall winner of the Tour de France, riding tires produced
in Korbach.
But our factory in Korbach doesn't just make tires for professionals. Our intensive research
and development work on racing tires benefits amateur cyclists, too. The experience gained
in the world's hardest bike race feeds back into how we produce bike tires for other cyclists.
For example, our range includes tubular tires made from extremely cut-resistant liquid crystal
polymer fibers, tried and tested in the Tour, which helps prevent punctures.
A quick glance at the Tour's vital statistics shows just how big the Tour is, and how much
media attention is focused each year on the riders who are competing in it on Conti race
tires. When the Tour gets underway on Saturday, 36 of the 198 starters will be riding on
Continental products. The Tour's full accompanying armada (riders, team staff, mechanics,
doctors, police, crew members to assemble and dismantle the stage starts and finishes)
adds up to 4,500 people. 2,000 accredited journalists from 560 different television channels,
radio stations, newspapers and magazines will be filing daily reports. The Tour will be
reported on in 190 countries - many of them offering live coverage. One newcomer this year
is the Arabic Al Jazeera Sport channel, which will be transmitting to 23 countries in the
Middle East. Last year, there were 133 million hits on dedicated Tour de France pages on
the internet. And over on Facebook, the Tour has 925,000 friends.
Last year, it is estimated that some 3.5 billion people around the world watched the threeweek Tour on television. Some 12 million specatators are expected to line the roads of
France to watch this year's Tour. 47 police outriders from the Garde républicaine, riding their
distinctive German motorbikes, will provide a motorcyle escort to keep the Tour safe, from
the first stage right through to the finish in Paris. And a total of 23,000 French police from the
Gendarmerie will be needed to close the roads and block off every side road.
The Tour de France – a giant spectacle. The 100th edition. And once again, Continental's
high-tech tires are right at the heart of things. After all, who'd want to just take part?
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Your contact:
Klaus Engelhart, Tel.: + 49 (0) 511 938 2285
Press Release
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Continental AG
With sales of €32.7 billion in 2012, Continental is among the leading automotive suppliers worldwide.
As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for powertrains and chassis,
instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires, and technical elastomers,
Continental contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also an
expert partner in networked automobile communication. Continental currently has approximately
173,000 employees in 46 countries.
www.continental-corporation.de
Tire Division
As one of the world’s leading tire manufacturers with more than 42,000 employees, the division
achieved sales of more than €€9.7 billion in 2012. The division currently has 22 production and
development locations worldwide. The broad product range and continuous investments in R&D make
a major contribution to cost-effective and ecologically efficient mobility.
Passenger and Light Truck Tires
Continental is one of the leading manufacturers of passenger and light truck tires in Europe and the
world's fourth largest passenger car tire manufacturer in the original equipment and replacement
market. The product development focus of the Continental premium brand is to optimize all safetyrelevant characteristics, while simultaneously minimizing rolling resistance.
www.continental-reifen.de
Commercial Vehicle Tires
The Commercial Vehicle Tire business unit is one of the largest manufacturers of truck and bus tires
worldwide and also offers a complete product range in the field of industrial tires.
www.continental-lkw-reifen.de
Sponsorship
Continental's Tire division is an official sponsor of the German DFB Cup, the 2014 FIFA World Cup in
Brazil, and UEFA EURO 2016TM in France.
www.ContiSoccerWorld.com
Contact:
Alexander Bahlmann
Head of PR, Passenger and Light Truck Tires
Continental AG
Tire Division
Büttnerstrasse 25, 30165 Hanover, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 511 938 2615
Fax:
+49 (0) 511 938 2455
alexander.bahlmann@conti.de
www.continental-reifen.de
Your contact:
Klaus Engelhart, Tel.: + 49 (0) 511 938 2285
Klaus Engelhart
Press Spokesman, Passenger and Light
Truck/Two-Wheel Tires
Germany/Austria/Switzerland
Continental AG
Tire Division
Büttnerstrasse 25, 30165 Hanover, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 511 938 2285
Fax:
+49 (0) 511 938 2455
klaus.engelhart@conti.de