German tyre manufacturer Continental has been named as an official partner of the Tour de France cycling event.
The five-year deal covers the 2018 to 2022 editions of the Grand Tour event.
As part of the agreement, fleet vehicles used by Tour organiser ASO will be fitted with Continental Ultra High Performance tyres.
Nikolai Setzer, a member of the executive committee of Continental’s World Tyres division, said: “This is a very important milestone in Continental's history because with the combined expertise of our two departments, we have the chance to accompany the Tour de France to a whole new level.”
Continental already supplies tyres for eight professional cycling teams, including Team Sky, whose rider Chris Froome has won the past three editions of the Tour.
The Continental deal opens up a new sponsorship category for the Tour de France.