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caviar cycling sponsors
"Black caviar adds the valuable supplements of proteins, iodine, minerals, microelements, and omega-3 fatty acids to the traditional diet of the athletes," team Katusha's press manager says. (Photo: flcikr)

Why Caviar, Vermouth, and Salami Makers All Love Cycling

Katusha has a new roe sponsor, but that's just one brand in a long line of food and drink companies that have sought affiliation with the pro peloton.

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caviar cycling sponsors
(Photo: flcikr)

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There鈥檚 something fishy about the Katusha team this year (and no, it鈥檚 not doping-related).

Last month, the team announced a new sponsor: , a Spanish caviar company. Not only will the team get funding from the brand, but as part of the deal, Katusha riders will receive caviar to snack on, too.

鈥淏lack caviar is a unique food product which adds the valuable supplements of proteins, iodine, minerals, microelements and omega-3 fatty acids to the traditional diet of the athletes,鈥� wrote Vitalii Abromov, the team鈥檚 press manager, in an email. 鈥淭he black caviar from Caviar de Riofrio will become a part of rider鈥檚 diet both during training camps and all the main races, including, of course, all three Grand Tours.鈥�

"Black caviar adds the valuable supplements of proteins, iodine, minerals, microelements, and omega-3 fatty acids to the traditional diet of the athletes," team Katusha's press manager says.
| (Riofrio Caviar)

While the idea of Katusha riders pulling tins of fish roe from their jersey pockets on the slopes of Alpe D鈥橦uez is an odd one, know that cycling has a long and storied history of food brands financing squads, even when the cuisine in question鈥檚 ties to athletic performance are dubious at best.

Bill McGann has written four books about the Grand Tours and runs the site . He鈥檚 throughout bike racing history, a surprising number of which are food-related. 鈥淚n Europe, cycling is a huge sport and this is mass marketing,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the greatest sports of Europe, not just a couple of nut jobs out for a ride.鈥� He adds that sponsoring a team is remarkably inexpensive, compared to, say, getting your logo within spitting distance of the NFL.

Plus, cyclists鈥攑ros and recreational riders alike鈥攁re food-obsessed. And even if pro racers can鈥檛 eat the foods they鈥檙e repping (like Miko, a French ice cream brand that sponsored a team in the 70s and 80s), their less svelte (but still Lycra-committed) cousin, the weekend warrior, can. And do.聽

So what are some of the oddest combos that have happened over the years? Aperitifs and booze have been big sponsors, with wine, beer, and vermouth logos all appearing on jerseys. , the vegan health food brand of Paul McCartney鈥檚 wife, sponsored a team in 1988. A group of cheese makers, called had a team in the early 2000s, and Italian salami manufacturer Molteni sponsored Eddie Merckx. Oh, and American pistachios are apparently the 鈥攕omething I learned when I picked up a packet of nuts at my local convenience store and saw his grimacing, mid-sprint mug growling up at me.

But the oddest sponsorship of all time does not include a food item at all. Instead, it involves a washed-up nightclub singer with too much money to burn. After her Greek millionaire husband died, singer sponsored Rapha毛l G茅miniani and the De Kova-Lejeune team. 鈥淚t was a plan to revive De Kova鈥檚 career,鈥� says McGann. It didn鈥檛 work. The team was pathetic, and the partnership only lasted a year.

Which highlights an important fact about sponsorship: This is first and foremost a business decision. If a sponsor doesn鈥檛 see return on investment, it won鈥檛 be back for more.

Lead Photo: flcikr

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