Who organises the Tour de France?

Although it was originally founded by Henri Desgrange, editor of L'Auto magazine, in 1903, the Tour is now owned and organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation, or A.S.O., which was created in September 1992 and is owned by French press group E.P.A (Philippe Amaury Publications).

EPA also owns French publications l'Equipe, l'Equipe Magazine, Vélo Magazine, France Football, Le Parisien and Aujourd'hui and is today one of the most important of French media companies.

Besides the Tour de France, ASO also owns a series of cycle races including Paris-Nice, Paris-Roubaix, Le Criterium International, La Fleche Wallonne, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Paris-Tours, and is easily the most influential body in French cycle racing apart from the French Cycling Federation.

The company is also involved in the sports of equestrianism, golf, organising the Open de France, athletics and motorsport, where it runs the Paris-Dakar off-road rally. With forays into cycle racing beyond the shores of France through the Tour of Quatar and Tour du Faso, ASO is fast becoming a powerful presence in world sport.