Behind the Scenes: VIP Tour de France Trip

byJayde Newbury/August 12, 2026/inCompetitions, Cycling

Škoda New Zealand recently sent two Kiwi couples to France as VIP guests to one of the world’s largest annual sporting events, the Tour de France.

Both couples were given access to VIP hospitality and were guided by hosts with professional cycling backgrounds. Below, two of the winners share their firsthand accounts of the day.

Read on for the full article, provided by Škoda New Zealand.

VIP Tour de France Winners Overview

A once-in-a-lifetime Tour de France experience. Škoda New Zealand gave two lucky kiwi couples the opportunity to experience the world’s greatest cycling race inside the action.

From helicopter flights above the peloton to exclusive hospitality and behind the scenes access. Follow Richard & Laurel and Cheryl & Malcolm as they experience an unforgettable VIP Tour de France adventure.

Meet the Winners

Richard and Laurel secured their Tour de France experience through Škoda Codes. Drawn from more than 100,000 entries, they experienced Stage 20 of the Tour de France as VIP guests of Škoda, enjoying an unforgettable behind-the-scenes adventure at the world’s greatest cycling race.

Cheryl and Malcolm won through Škoda New Zealand’s retail campaign, where customers who purchased a new Škoda between January and March were automatically entered into the draw. Their prize saw them enjoy an unforgettable VIP experience at Stage 15 of the Tour de France as guests of Škoda.

Richard and Laurel

Cheryl and Malcolm

Inside Tour de France: Richard’s Report

“The Skoda VIP hosts in Grenoble did very well considering our day was day 20 in a row of hosting VIPs. At the welcome dinner the night before we sat with Chris Froome, four time Tour de France winner. He is the loveliest guy, very modest and friendly with amazing stories of pushing through pain and mental barriers day after day. On (our) race day he was mobbed by fans wanting his autograph – and this was just in the VIP area!

It was an early 7.15am start. Our driver for the whole day was Staf Scheirlinckx, a former professional rider from Belgium who has ridden in all three Grand Tours of France, Italy and Spain. We drove to the start and were ushered into the VIP area and Skoda hospitality tent. Just before the race began Staf took us to the Astana team bus as the riders were saddling and introduced us to Aaron Gate who is a New Zealander from Auckland.

After that he drove us to an area not far from the place where true racing is allowed to start and we waited with a large crowd for the riders to pass which they eventually did in a big, fast bunch. Then we quickly walked to four helicopters with the other Skoda VIPs and flew in formation up the valley over the peloton.

After the helicopter ride and a BBQ we got into the race. We had to wait until a few riders fell back and then Staf radioed the race controller for permission to enter the race “bubble” between the slow riders and the yellow jersey.

In the bubble there were no road rules and he gradually worked his way through the peloton. It was slow uphill with heaps of fans. As we went past riders Staf would often slow down and give them pep talks. Some accepted cool cans of coke”.

– Richard Thompson

“On the downhill sections everything happened incredibly quickly and we had white-knuckle rides. Staf had warned us about how fast he will be going on the descents. Not to worry because the road is closed and he knows what he’s doing. Okaay…

I’ve never travelled so fast on a windy road and there was no room for error or brake failure! Staf handled the car beautifully. He said cyclists can get up to 100km/hr on these sections and they seemed to disappear so quickly. Just before the finish line the cars were diverted and we went into a VIP viewing area on the last corner where we could join with the crowd drumming the barriers and cheering the riders.

I was amazed at how many fans there were throughout the race and how far they would have walked or cycled to get to their place. It is all over very quickly at the beginning, but later on the riders get very spread out so it is probably more fun for the fans who cheer them and run alongside shouting “Allez, Allez, Allez!” Some outfits were incredible. It reminded us of the Sevens in NZ.

It was a big surprise how fast the riders were, and that they managed to cover such a huge distance with those incredible climbs in just a few hours. The stage we were on is one of the most famous because of the steep hot climbs and hairy descents. Unbelievable example of human strength and endurance.

We felt extremely lucky to be there in such a privileged position. Staf told us that the VIP places are very highly prized and I can see why. I also enjoyed talking branding and business with a Skoda executive who travelled with us for a while.”

– Richard Thompson

Inside Tour de France: Cheryl’s Lens

Cheryl and Malcolm had Paul Moucheraud as their VIP host. Paul is a former professional road biycyle racer from France. He was born in 1980 close to Paris and grew up in a cycylist family – his father Maurice was an Olympic Gold Medalist in road cycling.

Paul’s original passion was as a competive skier, but an accident in 2000 forced him to rehabilitate his body on a bicycle, a process that motivated Paul to follow in his father’s footsteps as a professional rider.

“The experience itself was simply amazing and the team at Škoda were just great.”

Cheryl Lovett

Škoda and Cycling

More than 130 years ago, Škoda began by manufacturing bicycles, and it remains active in cycling to this day, as well-known to fans of the legendary Tour de France. Škoda also supports other cycling events, including the renowned road races La Vuelta, Paris–Roubaix, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège.

Across the 2026 season, the company is also a partner of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) for the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships and the UCI Gravel World Championships. Cycling enthusiasts can also engage with the Škoda We Love Cycling platform.

Things you should know

*Please note that while care is taken to ensure all details displayed here are correct, specifications, pricing, imagery, and offers often change and information here may no longer be accurate. Images may also include overseas specification and/or optional accessories not included in the price or available in New Zealand. Content can also, of course, be subject to the occasional human error. For all current and correct details, please speak to our friendly and informative Sales Specialists. If you notice information that may be inaccurate, please don’t hesitate to let us know as soon as possible. Thank you for your support and understanding.