“We don’t want you here anymore” – Tour de France organisers threaten action against beloved PCS camper
Cycling
The beloved Pro Cycling Stats campervan has become a staple
of the Tour de France summer scene, parked among fans and handing out coffee to
journalists, riders, and even the occasional race organiser. But this year,
that quiet presence has drawn the ire of race owners ASO, who have threatened
PCS with legal action.
According to a statement issued by PCS before the race
began, “ASO more or less forced us to hide our PCS branding during every stage,
from publicity caravan to broom wagon. We’ve become less visible, almost
invisible.”
Still, they haven’t left. “Yet we’re still there, parked
among the fans, cheering every stage, even if it feels like we’re fading into
the background,” the statement continued. “If you do spot us, please come say
hi. Whether you’re a fan, journalist, team director, or even an ASO staffer,
there’s always a cup of coffee waiting at the camper.”
The situation escalated behind the scenes in early June,
when ASO sent an email to PCS CEO Stephan van der Zwan. According to BikeRadar,
the message made it clear: ASO considers itself the “exclusive owner of the
exploitation rights for the cycling events” it organises, including the Tour de
France, La Vuelta, and Paris–Roubaix.
The email accused PCS of “riding on the coat tails of
certain ASO events for which it holds no media accreditation by conspicuously
parking a campervan branded with the ‘ProCyclingStats.com’ trademark.”
Van der Zwan says a tense meeting followed. “I opened the
meeting and had five people against me instead of one, including their highest
lawyer. They only wanted to tell me ‘We don’t want you here anymore.’”
The impasse was resolved with a compromise: PCS would
remain, but the branding had to go. Van der Zwan has leaned into the absurdity
of the demand with a tongue-in-cheek workaround.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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