When Tour de France riders hit the road tomorrow, weeks of arguing between Dublin businesses and Tour organisers will be temporarily forgotten as the peleton flashes by.
Apart from the dispute over the disruption caused by the tour, many businesses are upset that merchandising and sponsorship opportunities were not made available to them. However, most agree that it is an excellent opportunity for Irish tourism.
Many businesses would have welcomed the chance to be more involved, but most of the sponsorship deals were struck for the whole race and not just the Irish leg.
"The opportunity for sponsorship by Irish companies is very limited because it's already sold in France or to international sponsors. That's normal. There can only be one drinks sponsor or bank," says Alan Rushton, director of Irish Tour de France organiser L'Evenement. Retailers missing out on these opportunities have their own solutions. Clerys management on O'Connell Street has erected a 6,000 sq ft "Welcome Tour de France" banner that they hope will catch the attention of TV viewers and shoppers.
"There's been a great deal of hostility, but we've got to get on with it," says Tom Rea, general manager of Clerys.
The organisers are not pleased with unofficial advertising on the route. "That's what you call ambush marketing," says Pat McQuaid of L'Evenement. "We would frown on that practice but there's nothing we can do. It's private property, we can't take stuff down but if they think they're getting TV coverage they've got another think coming. The TV crews know who the official sponsors are."
Champion Sports on O'Connell Street is not hanging a banner because it was told it's not allowed. "We would have loved to have had more involvement but there was very little opportunity, which was very disappointing," said Michael Keith, marketing manager.
He believes there should have been other options for Dublin retailers. "There was no approach on clothing or equipment, although we were in contact with numerous people," he says.
The sponsorship issue meant "the Tour de France, Ireland had to be funded from a non-commercial source, primarily through Government funding", says Mr Rushton.
Bord Bia, Bord Failte and Stena Line are the only Irish sponsors with deals totalling £3 million. All the main sponsorship was already taken by international companies Champion, Fiat, Credit Lyonnais and Coca-Cola. Bord Bia is using the opportunity to promote Irish foods with their "Ireland the Food Island" campaign, while Bord Failte hopes that Ireland will be recognised as an active holiday destination.
Stena Line is the official maritime carrier for the Tour de France 1998. Three ferries are transporting 4,500 metres of Tour-related equipment and support staff at a rate believed to be £500,000. The sponsorship is a branding exercise said Eamonn Hewitt, communications officer for Stena Line.
"We get three branded vans in the cavalcade and two `Stena sprints' on the first and second leg of the Tour," he says.
Others are also trying to get a share of the action. Although they won't have official Tour merchandise, Clerys and Stena Line shops are selling former cyclist Stephen Roche's latest line of merchandise including bicycles, jerseys, shorts, socks and gloves.
Official merchandiser Boutique du Tour is selling Le Tour de France 1998 gear at several points along the start and finish lines.
The broader benefits of the Tour are also recognised by the business community.
"It's a highly professional, highly sophisticated event, there were lower than expected sponsorship opportunities, so exposure may be limited but this has to be weighed against the overall benefit of the tour. The Irish Government went into this with their eyes open," said Simon Nugent, Chief Executive of the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland.
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