Tour DuPont

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Tour de Trump (1989–1990)
Tour DuPont (1991–1996)
Mid-Atlantic states, United States
DisciplineRoad race
TypeStage race
History
First edition1989 (1989)
Editions8
Final edition1996
First winnerNorway Dag Otto Lauritzen
Most winsMexico Raúl Alcalá (2 wins)
United States Lance Armstrong (2 wins)
Final winnerUnited States Lance Armstrong

The Tour DuPont was a

DuPont
.

The race was held in the

mid-Atlantic states, including areas near DuPont's Wilmington, Delaware, headquarters. DuPont withdrew their sponsorship of the race after the 1996 edition, and the event has not been run since. During the eight-year history of the race as both the Tour de Trump and the Tour DuPont, it was won twice by Mexican rider Raúl Alcalá and twice by American Lance Armstrong. The race was cited as evidence of Richmond, Virginia's ability to host international cycle racing when the city successfully bid for the 2015 UCI Road World Championships
.

Origins as the Tour de Trump

The race was originally sponsored by

Atlantic City for sponsorship, and Trump offered to be the race's primary sponsor and Packer's business partner in the venture. It was Packer who suggested the Tour de Trump name.[1] Speaking at the time of the start of the first Tour de Trump in May 1989, Trump himself stated that "When [the name] was initially stated, I practically fell out of my seat. I said, 'Are you kidding? I will get killed in the media if I use that name. You absolutely have to be kidding'". However, Trump reportedly changed his mind within 20 seconds, and was convinced by the commercial value of the name.[2]

Trump's lawyers subsequently sent a "cease and desist" letter to the organizers of a bike race held in Aspen, Colorado called the Tour de Rump. The letter stated: "You are using the name and mark Tour de Rump in connection with an 'inaugural' cycling event. Your use of that name and mark is likely to cause confusion and constitutes trademark infringement, unfair competition and false designation of origin, all in violation of applicable federal and state laws".[3] The organizer Ron Krajian's lawyer responded by arguing that his race was a local and non-commercial event, and predated the Tour de Trump. No response was received from Trump's lawyers, and the Tour de Rump went ahead.[1][3]

The total prize money on offer for the first event in 1989 was US$250,000, including $50,000 for the winner of the general classification.[2] This, together with the race's place in the international calendar between the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France, made it attractive to high-profile riders and teams, but the event did not attract large crowds.[4] Interviewed on NBC prior to the start of the 1989 race, Trump stated that "I would like to make this the equivalent of the Tour de France".[5] The race filled a gap left by the demise of the Coors International Bicycle Classic, which had been North America's major stage race but which folded following its 1988 edition.[6] Some European teams reportedly missed the Vuelta a España in order to race the Tour de Trump.[7]

Greg LeMond at the 1989 Tour de Trump

The inaugural Tour de Trump started in

Lotto, Panasonic, PDM, and the Soviet national squad.[4]

The race was met by anti-Trump protests in the first-stage finishing town of New Paltz, New York, where demonstrators held placards reading "Fight Trumpism", "Die Yuppie $cum", "The Art of the Deal = The Rich Get Richer" and "Trump = Lord of the Flies". The 1989 race was won by the Norwegian rider Dag Otto Lauritzen of the American team 7-Eleven, although there was some controversy about the result as Belgian rider Eric Vanderaerden, who had won four stages and was expected to take the lead in the general classification in the final stage time trial in Atlantic City but took a wrong turn following a race motorbike.[1][9] The Soviet rider Viatcheslav Ekimov, who took part as an amateur, won the first stage of the race (following a prologue time trial).[10] Articles published the following year reported that Ekimov "had had the nerve to win a stage as an amateur ... and some pros reportedly rewarded him by jamming a feed bag into his wheel",[11] and that he "threatened to win the Tour de Trump last year as an amateur before the pros banded together to eliminate any chance he had of winning".[12] Nonetheless, the first edition of the race was described as "a smashing success" in Sports Illustrated, which noted: "If you could get past the name, the Tour de Trump, without losing your lunch, and if you could somehow divorce the sporting event from the excess baggage that went with it ... what you had was a pretty nice bicycle race".[13]

Following the first event, Packer wanted to expand the race to take in more states. The 1990 race started on May 4 in

PDM–Concorde team.[15]

After two editions, Trump withdrew his sponsorship of the race due to his business's financial problems.[1][16] According to Packer, reflecting on the event in 2016, he and Trump "parted as good business friends", although he also explained that Trump's personality and celebrity, as well as the scandals surrounding Trump's marriage and business affairs, distracted from the event and annoyed European riders in the race.[1]

DuPont sponsorship era

After Trump withdrew from sponsoring the event, DuPont became the primary sponsor.

United States Cycling Federation Mike Plant, which resulted in them suing each other. DuPont itself was involved in a dispute about the anti-homosexual employment policies of the local government in Greenville, South Carolina, with the company insisting that the race organizers exclude the city from the route. After 1996, DuPont dropped its sponsorship and the race has not been run since.[19]

During its six years as the Tour DuPont, the race was won by Dutch rider Erik Breukink, Greg LeMond, Raúl Alcalá, Russian Viatcheslav Ekimov, and twice by Lance Armstrong.[20] Over this time, a prologue time trial held in Wilmington, Delaware, became the traditional start to the race. Between 1992 and 1994, the race included a stage from Port Deposit and Hagerstown in Maryland, but in 1995, South Carolina was included on the route for the first time in its place.[21] Every edition of the Tour DuPont visited Richmond, Virginia.[6]

Breukink won in 1991 by overcoming a 50-second deficit going into the final stage, a 16.1-mile (25.9 km)

Festina cycling team, was second.[28] The total prize money for the 1996 race was in excess of US$260,000.[29]

In July 1996, DuPont announced that it was ending its sponsorship of the race. According to a brand manager for the company, "Over the past six years, the Tour DuPont has been an excellent vehicle for promoting our products. However, we need to focus more on strategic markets in other parts of the world, where a sustained annual program versus a two-week event can better leverage the DuPont brand equity for profitable growth". Race organizer Mike Plant explained that "I talked to them a couple of months ago, and they had to make a hard decision. They don't have hundreds of millions of dollars to put into worldwide advertising. They put a ton of money into this event and they built up a valuable franchise, but, like Motorola, corporations change the way they do business". Plant reported that polling had showed that public recognition of the event had grown significantly, but also that awareness of who sponsored it had declined.[30]

Historian Eric Reed notes that a DuPont marketing executive characterized the initial sponsorship as "a bargain", and that the company claimed that the American press clippings generated by the event weighed 29 pounds (13 kg). DuPont executives also reported that they valued the global media exposure as worth close to US$70 million. Reed quotes a DuPont marketing executive as stating: "In 40 years in [media relations], I have never seen such concentrated, sustained and positive media coverage". However, Reed argues that despite this initial enthusiasm, "the Tour DuPont's chronic weaknesses hamstrung the event's growth", citing its "

pro-am" status, which prevented professional riders from being able to win world ranking points in the event. He also states that despite having an estimated worldwide television audience of 200 million, "American fan enthusiasm and roadside spectator interest in the event failed to spike significantly".[19]

DuPont's withdrawal also came months after

John DuPont, heir to the Du Pont family fortune, had been arrested for the murder of Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz.[1][4] At the time of the announcement of DuPont's discontinuation of sponsorship, Mike Plant reported that a 1997 event was tentatively scheduled for May 1–11, and that he had been in discussions with ten companies about potential title sponsorship of the race.[30]

Past winners

Year Country Rider Team
1989  Norway Dag Otto Lauritzen 7-Eleven[8]
1990  Mexico Raúl Alcalá PDM–Concorde–Ultima[15]
1991  Netherlands Erik Breukink PDM–Concorde–Ultima[20]
1992  United States Greg LeMond Z[20]
1993  Mexico Raúl Alcalá WordPerfect–Colnago–Decca[20]
1994  Russia Viatcheslav Ekimov WordPerfect–Colnago–Decca[20]
1995  United States Lance Armstrong Motorola[20]
1996  United States Lance Armstrong Motorola[20]

Legacy

Organizers Packer and Plant arranged another race, in China, though it was short-lived. Before their falling out, Packer reports that his "idea was to have a Triple Crown of cycling–one in Asia, one in America and have the Tour de France to be the third leg".[1] When the Tour de Georgia was first run in 2003, Tim Maloney of Cyclingnews.com referred to it as "the prodigal son of Tour DuPont".[31] In 2015, the UCI Road World Championships were held in Richmond, Virginia, which had previously hosted stages of the Tour de Trump and the Tour DuPont.[32][33] In 1994, the Tour DuPont included a stage that concluded with several laps of a circuit incorporating the cobbled climb of Libby Hill Park. This hill was included in the circuit of the 2015 World Championship road races.[34] Tour de Trump and Tour DuPont organizer Mike Plant was, according to USA Cycling, instrumental in Richmond's bid to hold the World Championships. As a member of the UCI Management Committee, when Richmond was announced as winning the bidding for the 2015 event, Plant commented that "Richmond stepped up and proved they could support world class cycling when we brought the Tour de Trump and Tour DuPont to the city in the late '80s and early '90s".[35]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hogan, Kevin (April 10, 2016). "The Strange Tale of Donald Trump's 1989 Biking Extravaganza". Politico. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Moran, Malcolm (May 5, 1989). "What's in a Name? It's Tour de Trump". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Carroll, Rick (August 6, 2015). "Donald Trump and Aspen". The Aspen Times. Archived from the original on December 17, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c Redford, Patrick (October 8, 2015). "Remembering The Tour De Trump, Donald Trump's Failed Bike Race". Deadspin. Archived from the original on April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  5. ^ McMahon, Daniel (June 16, 2015). "Donald Trump, who once sponsored the biggest bike race in America, took a shot at John Kerry for cycling". Business Insider. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  6. ^ a b c Newill, Ryan (September 18, 2015). "Echoes of Greatness". Rapha. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  7. ^ Tremblay, Philippe (April 12, 2016). "The Tour de Trump, Donald Trump's venture into the world of competitive bike racing". Canadian Cycling. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c Margolis, Jon (May 15, 1989). "The 1st Tour De Trump Is Over, As We All Know". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  9. ^ Litsky, Frank (May 15, 1989). "Dispute Mars End of the Tour de Trump". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  10. ^ "Ekimov takes first leg of Tour de Trump". The Evening News. May 7, 1989. Archived from the original on March 30, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  11. ^ Wolff, Alexander (May 21, 1990). "Lessons From a Pro". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  12. ^ a b Becker, Debbie (May 3, 1990). "Tour de Trump shifts into gear". USA Today. p. 2C.
  13. ^ Swift, E.M. (May 22, 1989). "The Wheels of Fortune". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  14. ^ Morrill, Kristine (February 13, 1990). "Tour de Trump bike race to begin in Wilmington". United Press International. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  15. ^ a b "Tour De Trump: Once Along for Ride, Alcalá Goes On to Win". Los Angeles Times. May 14, 1990. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  16. ^ a b Jackson, James H. (November 16, 1990). "Tour de Trump becomes Tour DuPont". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on April 27, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  17. ^ Becker, Debbie (April 29, 1996). "Race 'great conditioning' for trials". USA Today. p. 9C.
  18. ^ "'95 Champion Armstrong announces defense of Tour title". Business Wire. January 22, 1996.
  19. ^
    ISBN 978-0-226-20653-0. Archived
    from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g "Tour DuPont". Cycling Archives. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  21. ^ Lee, Edward (August 17, 1994). "Tour DuPont's '95 map won't include Maryland". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  22. ^ "Breukink Isn't Flat at Finish to Win Tour". Los Angeles Times. May 20, 1991. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  23. ^ Abt, Samuel (December 3, 1994). "Greg LeMond Ending Career". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  24. ^ a b Tasker, Greg (May 4, 1994). "LeMond, Motorola pair head field". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  25. ^ a b Reid, Ron (May 4, 1994). "This Time, It's United They Stand". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  26. ^ Thomas, Matt (September 9, 2008). "Lance Armstrong: the highs and lows". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  27. ^ Reid, Ron (May 8, 1995). "Armstrong Wins The Tour Dupont". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  28. ^ Reid, Ron (May 13, 1996). "Armstrong Wins 2nd Tour Dupont". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  29. ^ Litsky, Frank (May 1, 1996). "Riders Take Marks for DuPont". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  30. ^ a b Reid, Ron (July 12, 1996). "Dupont Cuts Funding For Cycling Race". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  31. ^ Maloney, Tim. "Wide open Tour de Georgia ready to roll". Cyclingnews.com. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  32. ^ "Richmond 2015: a lasting legacy for everybody who cycles". Union Cycliste Internationale. August 15, 2014. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  33. ^ Buckley, Bruce (April 11, 2011). "Is Richmond ready for the worlds?". Velonews. Archived from the original on March 31, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  34. ^ Wilcockson, John (February 27, 2014). "2015 Richmond Worlds: Acrobatic More Than Classic". Peloton. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  35. ^ "Richmond wins bid to host 2015 Road Cycling World Championships". USA Cycling. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
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