Shimano Replaces Mavic as Tour de France’s Neutral Support

The iconic yellow Mavic neutral service cars are no more. Let’s shed a neutral tear together, and think of all the funny times they accidentally knocked riders off or gave them comedically small bikes.

Shimano will be taking over neutral support at the Tour and all other ASO events. The Japanese component maker already provides support at ASO’s Vuelta a Espana, so they do have form here.

“We have complete trust in the Shimano team to deliver a professional service towards teams and riders, as they have been doing for much of their 100-year history,” said Thierry Gouvenou, ASO’s heading of cycling.

We’ll see the first Shimano neutral support vehicles at the Paris-Nice in Marc. Hey, 2021 is also Shimano’s centenary, so this is a fun way for them to celebrate.

While it’s a sad moment for nostalgics like… uh, like people who run a retro-themed cycling site, it’s not so much a victory for Shimano’s big bucks forcing out an institution of the sport. Rather, it’s a result of Mavic’s recent financial troubles. Which actually is bad too.

Let’s pour one out for the yellow boys who were so much fun to spot at races since the 1970s. Here’s hoping we’ll see them back causing trouble at the smaller races soon.