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Cycling: a playground that also resonates with B2B brands

Published on October 12th, 2026

So far, this series has focused primarily on scale: tens of millions of viewers and hundreds of millions of views. But for a B2B brand, what matters most is not the size of the audience, but its profile. And in this respect, cycling has an advantage that few sports can claim: it particularly appeals to decision-makers, entrepreneurs and leaders of both small businesses and large corporations. Not only as spectators, but also as participants and, in some cases, as direct investors in the sport itself.

In this Insight:

This cultural affinity opens the door to activation formats that few other sports can offer. In most disciplines, the VIP experience involves watching the competition from a hospitality box, away from the field of play. Cycling, by contrast, provides direct access to the race as it unfolds: a seat in a team car, at the heart of the action, alongside former riders or members of the sporting staff.

Guests can follow race strategy live, talk with mechanics or data analysts, and meet the riders before or after the stage. No enclosed stadium can offer this level of immersion during the competition itself. It is a unique client experience format found almost exclusively in cycling.

This is also what makes cycling such a powerful platform for B2B brands: its ability to support a genuine B2C2B strategy. By reaching a broad consumer audience, partners also connect with a demographic in which business leaders, entrepreneurs and decision-makers are particularly well represented. A single campaign can therefore build awareness among the general public while strengthening the brand’s visibility and credibility among its professional target audiences.

Shine by Cegid provided a very concrete example of this approach this year. The fintech, which supports one million entrepreneurs and 15,000 accounting professionals across Europe, signed a five-year partnership with the Decathlon CMA CGM team in June 2026, facilitated by SPORTFIVE. The objective went beyond visibility on the team jersey. As Aurélie Durand, Marketing Director at Shine, explained, the brand’s priority was to offer its clients experiences they would not normally have access to.

In practice, this took the form of a hospitality programme across two stages of the 2026 Tour de France. Guests visited the VIP village before following the race from a team car driven by former professional riders such as Julien Duval.

The brand built an entire communications platform around the partnership, “We are the Team Behind the Team” highlighting the people working behind the scenes of a cycling team, from mechanics and soigneurs to analysts. This directly echoes the essential yet often unseen roles within businesses, such as the accountants and financial managers Shine supports every day.

This example shows that cycling is no longer simply a mass-visibility platform. It has become a powerful relationship-building tool for brands targeting professionals rather than the general public. With a sport that naturally appeals to business leaders, truly distinctive activation formats and proven examples such as Shine, cycling now offers just as many opportunities for B2B brands as it does for consumer brands. And that is precisely what brings this three-part series on the potential of cycling for brands to a close, on a decidedly forward-looking note.

SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that specialises in sports rights, marketing, and entertainment. We work with sports organisations, clubs, and brands to create and optimise commercial opportunities in the sports industry. SPORTFIVE is involved in various aspects of sports business, including the sale of broadcasting rights, sponsorship and partnership management, stadium naming rights, and other marketing initiatives.

SPORTFIVE creates innovative, engaging solutions that are worthy of the incredible sports, athletes and partners we work with, and the passionate fans who follow them. Campaigns are built collaboratively, based on trust and transparency, and enabled by a deep understanding of the industry, the agency’s global reach, digital intelligence and creative courage.

The result is gamechanging sports partnerships that redefine standards in the sports and entertainment space.

SPORTFIVE believes in the power of five - bringing brands, rights holders, media platforms, fans and ‘us’ together through sport.

SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that specialises in various aspects of the sports and entertainment industry. The agency works with sports organisations, teams, and brands to optimise commercial opportunities.

One of SPORTFIVE's key areas of focus is the sale and management of sports media rights, including broadcasting and digital distribution deals. They negotiate and facilitate partnerships, sponsorships, and naming rights for sports entities, helping them enhance their brand value and revenue streams.

Additionally, SPORTFIVE provides expertise in marketing strategies, assisting clients in building strong connections with their target audiences. Their comprehensive approach spans across the sports business landscape, from media rights to sponsorship management, contributing to the overall growth and success of their clients in the dynamic world of sports marketing.

B2B stands for "Business to Business," representing a type of commerce where transactions occur between two businesses rather than between a business and individual consumers.

In a B2B relationship, companies provide products, services, or solutions to other businesses. This can involve the exchange of raw materials, finished goods, services, or expertise. B2B transactions are often characterised by larger order quantities, complex negotiations, and longer sales cycles compared to business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions.

Examples of B2B transactions include a manufacturer selling components to another company, a software company licensing its products to businesses, or a marketing agency providing services to corporate clients. B2B interactions play a crucial role in the overall economy, forming intricate networks of suppliers, distributors, and service providers that contribute to the functioning of various industries.

In the context of sports, B2B (Business to Business) relationships are highly relevant and play a significant role in the functioning of the sports industry. Various businesses collaborate and engage in B2B transactions to support and enhance the sports ecosystem. From sponsorships and partnerships, broadcasting and media rights, merchandising and apparel and to event and facility management, B2B relationships run all the way through in the sports industry.